Helpful hint inspires people in study to increase exercise

Brown University researchers examined the effectiveness of doing just that. They recruited 249 healthy but sedentary adults from Providence, R.I., and Pittsburgh to participate in three programs designed to increase their physical activity.

In one group, participants received physical activity tips tailored to their needs via regular mail. In another, they were sent customized tips by e-mail, while a third group was supplied a list of Internet resources about exercise but received no tips tailored specifically to them.

Who did best? Both groups that received the customized activity tips. They each hiked their physical activity significantly. But those who received tips by e-mail did best of all, averaging 120 minutes of activity weekly compared with 112 minutes for the group that received tips by mail. Contrast those results with the 90 minutes of activity per week reported by those who were directed to the physical activity Web sites.

By the time the study ended after one year, all groups were beginning to slip back into their old routines. But the participants who received customized tips by either e-mail or regular mail continued to have the highest activity levels. They still averaged 90 minutes of activity per week, compared with 80 minutes for the third group.

The findings suggest that tailored tips are one way to boost exercise and that delivering them by e-mail can be an effective tool in helping the inactive get moving, the researchers conclude in the current issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The results point to the benefit of using nontraditional channels of information to boost physical activity and suggest that e-mail tips can provide “equally effective results” to those delivered by snail mail, notes Bess Marcus, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown and lead author of the study.

Using the Internet to deliver exercise tips and messages “can reduce potential barriers,” says Marcus, who also is affiliated with the Miriam Hospital’s Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine in Providence.

With those results in mind, welcome to week two of the Lean Plate Club Family Challenge. On our Web site at www.leanplateclub.com, find a link to record how much physical activity you and your family get, whether you’re a household of one or a multigenerational family of many. See how it compares to others who are taking the challenge. Also at the Web site, subscribe to the Lean Plate Club e-mail newsletter, a free weekly service that provides additional links to physical activity, healthy recipes, and the latest nutrition and physical activity news.

The four-week family challenge is simple. Each week, you’ll find a food goal and an activity goal. This challenge won’t turn you into a marathon runner, but it will help shake off the last vestiges of winter and assist you and your family into springing into summer. This week’s goals are to get 10 minutes of activity with your family and to add more whole grains to your diet.

Ten minutes may not sound like a lot. But you need to start somewhere. If you and your family are already getting 10 minutes of activity, add 10 minutes more this week. No need to get fancy equipment. You can be active in your backyard.

No backyard? No problem. Try playing a rousing game of balloon ball indoors. To see how, check out a video of young members of a large, extended family at www.leanplateclub.com.

Activity is just one part of the equation for a healthier life. Healthy food is another. Most people fall short on eating whole grains, which have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, more evenly regulated blood sugar levels and better overall health. For that reason, the 2005 federal Dietary Guidelines advise eating at least three servings daily of whole grains — from whole-wheat bread, crackers and cereal to brown rice and whole-wheat pasta.

Identifying true whole-grain products can be tough. To help consumers spot whole-grain products more easily, the Whole Grains Council, a consortium of food companies, scientists, chefs and the Oldways Preservation Trust, have begun issuing golden wheat stamps to products that contain at least half a serving of whole grains per portion. Find more information about these products as well as restaurants and schools serving whole grains at www.wholegrainscouncil.org.

Join Sally Squires online from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays at www.leanplateclub.com, where you also can subscribe to the free Lean Plate Club weekly e-mail newsletter.