Burn Off Those Calories

Women.com cites a recent study of 11,000 men reported in the journal Stroke, which found burning only 1,000 calories a week in exercise reduces the risk of stroke by 24 percent. Researchers believe exercise cuts the chance of strokes by modifying risk factors including high blood pressure, body weight and blood clotting ability.

How much exercise is this going to take? Walking briskly for 30 minutes, five days a week, burns 1,000 calories and therefore reduces stroke risk by 24 percent. You'll need to double that to cut the risk in half.

Also on the exercise list to burn 2,000 calories: three hours on the cross-country ski machine, three hours of running, five hours of bicycling at 10-12 mph, five hours of fast dancing or six hours of gardening.

Take our ThirdAge Fitness Quiz.