No Time to Exercise? No Problem!

Active errands can help you stay healthy.

You're stressed and strapped for time, so you skip the gym -- again, even though you know the exercise will lower your blood pressure and that tension. Luckily, doing household chores can have the same effect, say experts at Indiana University.

They had 28 people go about their normal routine on one day; on another, they were told to burn an extra 150 calories through everyday activities. When they did, those with pre-hypertension and hypertension saw drops in blood pressure similar to those you'd get with a strict diet. (As expected, those with normal blood pressure didn't notice any changes; researcher Janet Wallace explains: "You can't make somebody more normal with exercise.")

Do an extra lap at the mall, hand deliver your neighbors' holiday cards or do some door-to-door caroling. You'll lower stress and blood pressure -- and maybe minimize holiday weight gain.