Let's face the truth.

Americans are fat. About two thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese. And don't worry, it gets worse. A Johns Hopkins University study predicts this will increase to 75 percent by 2015.

But I'm too busy...

So what is America going to do about this problem? Make excuses of course! One of the most common excuses of why people don't exercise enough is because they are too busy. ... "I don't have enough time." ... "There aren't enough hours in the day." ... "There just isn't any time between work and taking care of the family." ... In response to this I say bologna. Everyone has enough time to get the recommended 20-30 minutes of daily exercise. If you think you are an exception and that you really are just too busy, I believe you need to take a closer look at your schedule and see if you can find any time inefficiencies hiding in there.

Where are these time inefficiencies you're talking about?

What if I told you that there are several minutes hidden in your daily routine that could be enjoyed with walking instead of sitting on your derriere? Blasphemy you say? Hear me out for a minute. Take a quick glance at the following list and then we'll look at each item more in detail:

• Go for a walk with your family after dinner.
• Park further away in the parking lot.
• Walk to work.
• Walk while at work.

Go for a walk with your family after dinner.

Talk about the ultimate happiness efficiency win/win; not only are you walking off that extra portion of potatoes you ate with dinner, but you are also spending quality time with your family instead of staring at a TV or being tempted by a sugary dessert. It doesn't have to be a long walk; just 10 - 15 minutes spent walking around the block is enough to burn a few calories, catch up a little more with your loved ones, and take in some fresh air all at the same time.

Park further away in the parking lot.

This is a really simple one that practically everyone has read about but practically no one does. And why not? Laziness? Being in a rush? Or some other excuse that doesn't quite cut it? An extra 30 seconds here and there of walking really adds up over the week. Don't believe me? Then why not do it for these other reasons:

• Have a new car or stereo? You are far less likely to get dings in your doors or have your car broken into if you park further away from other cars.
• Hate forgetting where you parked? Not a problem anymore; you're parked at the back of the lot.
• Get tired of driving around looking for the best spot? Not anymore, there are always spots open in the back of the lot.

Walk to work.

If you live close enough to work this is an absolutely amazing way to uncover hidden time in your routine. Consider this example: suppose your commute to work takes about 15 minutes; including the drive, traffic, traffic lights, and the time it takes to walk to the office building from your parking lot. Now, suppose you decided to walk to work one day and it took you 25 minutes since you no longer have to wait in traffic or at traffic lights. On first instinct you would think that walking must be less time efficient because it takes 10 more minutes to get to work. But hold on! Let's look at this a little more closely:

• Your drive took 15 minutes.
• Your walk took 25 minutes.
• The increase in time was 25 - 15 = 10 minutes.
• Thus, for only 10 extra minutes in your schedule, you got 25 minutes of exercise.

If you walked to work and back only 2 - 3 times a week you'd easily meet your weekly exercise quota.

As for those of you who live too far from work for walking to be practical, you could try getting off the bus or metro at two stops before your stop or try parking in a parking lot a little further from work.

Walk while at work.

There are plenty of opportunities to get a little extra exercise while at work, most of which you've probably heard before. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator, deliver the occasional message by hand instead of email or instant message, or even take a stroll with your work friends during breaks. One of my favorite ways to clear my head and de-stress a little while at work is to take a 15 minute break, walk around the block, and stretch my legs while taking in some air. This little bit of exercise makes the last hour or two on those long work days feel not quite as torturous.

So how does it all add up?

You'd be surprised at how all of this walking adds up. If you walk the recommended 150 minutes each week at a leisurely pace of 2.5 mph, you would burn an additional 350 - 400 calories per week. Pretty incredible considering this hidden time in your normal routine was being ignored or underutilized. Stretch this out over a year and you are about 5 - 6 pounds lighter than you would have been otherwise.

Is it worth it?

Take a look at what 5 pounds of fat looks like and you tell me.

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