New research demonstrates the power of exercise.

Called the STRRIDE trial, Duke University measured various health markers in people who were inactive over 6 months. Over the next 6 months the participants engaged in regular exercise.

"In the new analysis, we found that waist size, time to exhaustion, visceral fat and metabolic syndrome scores deteriorated significantly during the six-month period of inactivity during the original STRRIDE trial," Robbins said. "However, after six months of exercise training in the study, 13 of the 17 variables had either reverted to original baseline levels or even improved.

Three levels of exercise were measured: 12 miles of walking per week, 12 miles of jogging per week or 20 miles of jogging per week. From the results it seems that it was not the group with the most intense exercise that got the most results.

I honestly believe that the power of simple exercise should never be underestimated. While aerobic activity is not a health cure-all - there is overwhelming evidence proving the many benefits.

The challenge we face is not in trying to find the 'perfect' form of exercise, but in finding the reasons why most of us do not exercise at all.

Another lesson from this is that positive health improvements didn't come overnight. Six months to regress in health, followed by six months of improving.