Reducing GERD and Heartburn Through (fun) Exercise

It's well known that GERD and heartburn are related to being overweight. It makes sense. If your gut's too big, it's bound to push your food back into your esophagus, which causes GERD, heartburn, etc. But exercise shouldn't be a dirty word. In fact, it should be fun. That's right, fun! How? Well...

First, exercise does not equal running a daily marathon. Exercise is simply about moving. What could be easier? You can walk, dance, swim, shoot some hoops, play video games like Dance-Dance Revolution (which has helped a lot of kids lose literally tons of weight). In fact, there are new video games hitting the market, like the awesome XaviX , designed specifically to make you move, kick, punch, jump. Sound like fun? It is. I'll write more on exergaming (yep, dumb name) another day, but to get started...

Commit yourself to moving 20 minutes, five days a week. It's that simple. Just move. Don't kill yourself. Have fun. This is a lifestyle - not a race. It's not something you do for a week or a month and then quit. Make you a deal - you can stop moving as soon as you stop brushing your teeth. The only other time you get to quit moving is when you die.

Tomorrow, we'll discuss ways to make exercise even more fun, but for today, just move and enjoy it.