Recently, the American College of Sports Medicine created a fitness pyramid, based on the Food Guide Pyramid, that puts inactivity at its apex and "lifestyle fitness activity" as its base. Active sports and weight-training are in the middle, which implies that the moves you make every day—gardening, cleaning, walking the dog—contribute more to your overall health than a monthly bike ride or weekend warriorhood.

The book and Dr. Gordon's work at the aerobics institute stress what he terms "lifestyle fitness. ' Physical activity doesn't have to be in big doses, the doctor says, and it benefits your brain as well as your body. … "What I say to people who say they haven't got time, I say: "Realize that it's vitally important. Realize that if you fit it into your life, you're actually going to get more accomplished." Park farther away, he suggests, and use mall stairs instead of the escalator. Try walking the dog with the kids.