The Ideal: Do 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity most days of the week.

The surgeon general advises this near daily dose to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, raise HDL (good) cholesterol, and improve cardio health, reducing the risk for diabetes and heart disease.

The Next Best Thing: Take three 10-minute walks each day. Short bursts have real health benefits, says Cris Slentz, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, North Carolina. Assuming the intensity is identical to that of a 30-minute workout, you’ll burn the same number of calories and get the heart-health benefits. A few ideas:

Devote 10 minutes of your lunch hour to a brisk walk.

Climb a few flights of stairs several times a day instead of using the elevator.

Offer to take a friend’s (energetic) dog for a walk.