Fitness guru offers handy exercise tips

That doesn't mean clamber onto Leno's 1,000-pound scale, or even your own. It does mean that if you don't measure what you're doing, setting a goal is worthless.

"We don't do what we expect, we do what we inspect," Shaw says.

So the real key is to commit yourself to a simple weekly test. People who test weekly suddenly start doing little things to improve their fitness, like taking the stairs or adding a little less sugar to their food, Shaw says.

He suggests doing three things. Sit on the floor and see if you can reach your toes or beyond (five inches beyond is ideal). Do a three-minute step test, 24 steps per minute for men and 22 for women, and check your heart rate. Finally, measure your waist each week and, if you're a woman, your chest and hips.

Or check out the test at www.fitness.gov.

Test weekly and you'll want to improve. Your life might just get better and quite possibly longer.

"Simple daily exercise," Shaw says, "is the best medicine in America today."

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Utah County Bureau Chief Tad Walch lives with his wife and five children in Provo, their home for the past 21 years. Please e-mail twalch@desnews.com.