Dec. 6, 2004 -- Think you don't have the time or money to exercise as muchas you should? Think again.

A new nationwide survey shows at least one-fourth of successful exercisershave full-time jobs, young children at home, or both, and walking is the mostpopular form of physical activity.

The survey, conducted among more than 20,000 Consumer Reports readers,reveals the secrets of successful exercisers -- those people who most closelymeet the national recommendations for physical activity by exercising at leasta half-hour per day at least three days a week.

The results show that sticking to an exercise routine doesn't have to beboring or expensive, and it could be a lifesaver. For example:

• 58% of successful exercisers report doing three or more differentactivities per week.
• 30% of successful exercisers used a fitness facility or gym at least threetimes a week.
• More than half of those who worked out regularly used exercise to treatdepression, a heart problem, back pain, or diabetes and said they and theirdoctors agreed that exercise helped a lot.

Experts say that to reap the most health benefits from exercise, you need tostrive for at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, preferably spread out overfive days. If you do, the health benefits include a lower risk of heartdisease, stroke, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, some typesof cancer, and dementia.

However, if your goal is weight loss, you'll need to aim for 250 to 300minutes a week

Tips from Successful Exercisers

In the survey, which appears in the January issue of Consumer Reports,researchers polled 21,750 readers about their exercise habits.

Thirty-eight percent of the respondents were classified as "successfulexercisers" and performed moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 30minutes at least three days a week (usually more). That group includes 12% theresearchers classified as "hard-core" exercisers who exercised at leastfive days a week and had kept it up for at least five years.

The survey showed that 36% were "unsuccessful exercisers" who did alittle exercise but not enough to reap the health benefits. Many people in thisgroup said they wished they exercised more regularly. Fifteen percent of therespondents were considered sedentary.

Researchers found walking was by far the most popular form of physicalactivity among successful exercisers. In addition, two-thirds of hard-coreexercisers walked at least three days a week.

When asked how they fit physical activity into their hectic schedules andstuck to their routines, successful exercisers offered this advice:

• Get out of your car. Many said they walked or bicycledregularly to work. Others arranged their lives so that they could do errands onfoot regularly, such as living within walking distance of a grocery store.
• Find activities you enjoy. You'll be more likely to stickto a routine if you enjoy it. More than half of successful exercisers said theyusually or always got "a feeling of joy or exhilaration" from theirphysical activity.
• Find time to exercise. Successful exercisers recommendworking out at the same time of the day, finding a convenient location toexercise, and planning ahead to schedule workouts.
• Use weights. Successful exercisers of all ages were 10times more likely to use free weights to build muscle strength than those whodidn't exercise regularly.

When starting an exercise program, researchers say it's important to startslowly, and then gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workout.But the good news is that the survey results also show that once people getinto the exercise habit, they naturally gravitate toward longer, more strenuousworkouts.