quit is to call the national quit line at 1800quit now leone said support groups run by neighborhoods or medical facilities are also a great source for support and inspiration an important part of dealing with this is really getting advice on how to deal with some of the issues that pop up and theres no better advice than the collective experience of people who have gone through this process over many many years exercise digging up the motivation to exercise can be hard in the winter months shorter days and cooler temperatures not to mention sidewalks full of snow make it hard to get out for a run buying a gym membership can give you the financial incentive and the indoor space to work out but it only works if you use it a lot of people have gym memberships that they dont use including myself cimperman said my goal is to go to the gym twice a week and that doesnt sound like a lot but its a realistic goal that i know i can meet cimperman said but you dont need a gym membership to get in shape cimperman stressed running up and down the stairs in your house or apartment building or at work is a great workout and workout dvds even youtube videos can also offer some fitness solutions on the cheap walking to work or choosing the stairs over the elevator can help you burn a few extra calories each day but to get the real health benefits of exercise your heart rate needs a hike according to dr shukri david chief of cardiology at providence hospital in southfield michigan you ideally want to increase your heart rate to 85 percent of what we call target which is 220 minus your age david said thats 160 for a 40yearold and sustaining that increased heart rate for 1530 minutes each day will benefit your whole body take preventive measures heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the us so its important to know your risk factors and your numbers providence hospitals david said genetics play an important part in determining your risk so knowing your family history is an important first step but other modifiable factors such as smoking being overweight and having diabetes high blood pressure and high cholesterol also increase your risk you cant choose your parents but you can certainly get your blood pressure down you can get your blood sugar down with diabetes you can normalize your cholesterol levels you can stop smoking and you can lose weight david said seeing a doctor at least once a year for a preventative physical exam can help you stay on top of your numbers david said and many of the medications that help keep those numbers in check such as cholesterollowering statins are inexpensive although heart disease is the leading killer in the us according to the us centers for disease control and prevention cancer is a