As time goes on, regular physical activity will give you a bigger and better boost in your energy and your feeling of well-being!

If your doctor thinks you're ready to take your physical activity to the next level, here are a couple of ideas to consider:

Extend yourself...try stretching! Stretching not only helps relieve tension and stress, but it's also essential to any physical activity. Tight muscles can cause undue strain, and even injury to your body. A proper program of simple stretching can help your muscles to relax...increase your range of motion...lengthen your muscles...and prevent them from becoming bulky.

Here are some tips for your stretching program:

• Think about a cat, who never moves very suddenly. Don't jerk or force your body into motion...ease into it, without bouncing.
• Breathe deeply while you stretch. Think of each deep breath as fresh air going straight to your muscles.
• Ease into your stretching program. Warm up for a few minutes before attempting any extreme movements.

Find a place to swim. Swimming—even just for fun—is great physical activity. It's low-impact (actually no-impact!) and it exercises every muscle in your body. It helps build strength in your heart and lungs, and, best of all, it helps you relax! Even if you don't know how to swim free-style (the standard swimming stroke) or don't want to swim laps, simply moving around in the shallow end of a pool is great physical activity. The water creates added resistance, forcing you to use more energy to move.

Many local schools and colleges have low-cost time available for community members.

How about a couple of laps around the mall? It had to happen sooner or later. Malls are turning out to be a hot spot for daily physical activity!
All across the country, people are showing up at indoor malls early in the morning, when they're least crowded, for a brisk morning walk.

Mall walking is a simple way to get more physical activity into your life, and a chance to meet people while you're at it, without the stress or expense of a health club. You can walk at your own pace, for as long as you feel comfortable.

Why not find out when your local mall opens, and check it out? The worst that can happen is...a trip to the mall!

REMEMBER: Only your doctor can tell you if these types of increased physical activities are right for you.