An article that recently appeared in Fortune magazine about the importance of companies placing increased emphasis on employee fitness caught our eye. Here are some key excerpts:

A new study from the University of Michigan Health Management Research Center offers some encouraging news: Even as little as 10 or 20 minutes of daily exercise can “dramatically” lower the risk of developing serious chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, even for people at high risk.

Another one:

The study found that, when the high-risk employees put in the 150 minutes per week of exercise recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, their health care costs dropped to the same level as those of healthy employees’. “It was a real surprise,” says Alyssa Schultz, a researcher who worked on the study.

One more:

But the biggest eye-opener from the study was how helpful it can be to exercise at all. The researchers noticed health-care cost savings even among people who reported just 10 minutes of vigorous movement per day.

All in all, pretty amazing stuff when you think about how much little time in reality it takes every day to just get out and move for 20-30 minutes (or even just 10 minutes) and the big payoff you will get in terms of your overall physical (and mental) health. Go read the whole article right away. This further proves that you don’t necessarily need complicated gym routines, personal trainers, or equipment to improve your health. The little things all add up over time.  The key is consistency, establishing exercise in your daily routine, and going from there.  Some decent shoes or sneakers, dressing comfortably and getting out for regular walks will do wonders for one’s physical and mental health.

Now we have even more proof! Why not kick of a new exercise habit with some of your social networks using DailyEndorphin’s flexible, affordable, interactive group wellness challenge solution today?