Folding Clothes and Washing Dishes Count.

• Position: DAILY EXERCISE

With a culture of desk jobs, car commutes, and television binges, it comes as no surprise that the average American spends at least 12 hours per day sitting--contributing to chronic, physical inactivity-related conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Research has shown that interrupting long periods of sitting with small spans of movement can improve health but, without guidance on how much of which activities will make a difference, many remain unmotivated to move.

To provide the tools for all people to get moving, a research team from the American Council on Exercise, San Diego, Calif., and Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, studied a series of common activities--such as folding laundry, washing dishes, and walking--available to all people regardless of age, location, or socioeconomic status.

"Participating in regular exercise has a plethora of health benefits--from maintaining weight to improving mood--but it can't counteract being at a desk all day," says Cedric X. Bryant, chief science officer for ACE. "Sitting down for extended periods of time day in and day out can elevate a number of health risk factors. All that sitting needs to be interrupted regularly, regardless of whether there is an exercise program in place."

Researchers compared the health effects of four different activity protocols:

* Five minutes of low-to-moderate activity every hour that could include...