Not everyone has gotten the message: We can’t afford to sit on our butts all day.

Our bodies need exercise, and two new studies show just how big a boost you’ll get from that sweat.

One of these studies, published in the American Journal of Medicine, finds that just 30 minutes of light exercise like jogging or bicycling three times a week can significantly reduce the risk of early death in people with heart problems.

I know people who spend more time in the bathroom than that – so surely most of us can find that half hour a day.

Researchers tracked 522 people with heart conditions, including high stress, over six years. They were given 12 weeks of exercises classes, then sent on their way.

Those who stuck with it were 60 percent less likely to die over the six-year follow-up period.

The routine they were given was consistent, but not taxing: 10 minutes of warm-ups followed by 30 to 40 minutes of light aerobics – like walking, rowing or jogging. Then, they capped the workout off with 10 minutes of stretching.

Exercise also helped reduce stress levels, a significant factor for heart problems. Prior to the program, one in 10 patients had high stress levels. Afterward, just one in 20 were still fighting that battle.

Another study finds that exercise can make stiff arteries more elastic. In plain English, that means it can significantly lower your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Canadian researchers found that diabetics who got an hour of vigorous aerobic exercise three times a week saw a 15 percent to 20 percent reduction in arterial stiffness. What’s more, they got this boost in just three months.

These subjects were working out relatively hard – reaching 70 percent of their maximum heart rate.

But they started out small with some light exercise and worked their way up – and so can you, even if you never reach that 70 percent level. Any exercise is better than nothing at all.

I know a few seniors who start out using soup cans (unopened, of course) as light weights. And let’s face it – that’s a much better use for these things than eating what’s inside.

Open the can, and you have an unhealthy meal packed in salt and preservatives. Keep it sealed, and you have a dumbbell that only costs a buck or two and is the perfect size for many people in the 65+ crowd.

Just don’t throw the can opener away… you might still need the food in that can in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster. But that’s about the only time you should consider eating it.

And of course, talk to your doctor before adding new exercises to your daily routine.

I’ve got some great news that can help you avoid angioplasty.

And all you need to do is move around a little more.

I wish I could have been at that meeting of the European Society of Cardiology I mentioned earlier, but I was busy doing my own research here in Montana. Still, I was able to read all about a fantastic presentation there on the power of exercise to help keep heart patients healthy.

One 2004 study followed heart patients who underwent angioplasty versus heart patients who were told to just exercise. After a year, 30 percent of the angioplasty patients had more heart problems, compared with just 10 percent of the exercisers.

The researchers at this presentation said the problem is getting doctors to focus on convincing patients that exercise is the right choice.

And that’s going to be a mighty big challenge.

Most doctors can’t tell their patients about this option – because in many cases, they don’t know about it themselves. They’re taught that nearly every disease or condition requires a drug or a procedure, especially when it comes to heart health.

But in reality, the only thing angioplasty can do is clear up a single blocked blood vessel. The underlying problems remain, including the potential for other blockages.

Exercise, on the other hand, helps to restore the whole body.

I know what you’re thinking: Won’t exercise stress my heart even more? I’m not talking about running a marathon or swimming across Whitefish Lake every day – just something enjoyable you can do to get the sweat glands working a little, like a brisk walk through your park, dance lessons or a some bicycling.

One study estimated that two and a half hours of brisk walking per week would lead to 280,000 fewer heart-related deaths every year. Surely you can find 20 minutes a day, or half an hour five days a week, to help save your own life.

But don’t stop there. Change your eating habits, too, and you’ll really help your heart.

These adjustments don’t have to be painful. Just as there are enjoyable activities that count as exercise, you’ll find plenty of great and satisfying food options if you stick with a healthy low-carb diet full of delicious and needed fats.

The alternative is an endless chain of prescription meds and medical procedures, and a higher risk of a shorter, sicker life.

While dieting is one of those issues we need to keep an eye on throughout our lives, there are other factors that become more important as time goes on.

For seniors, good health means more than just watching what you eat. It means staying sharp. The latest research shows there are four things you can do to help keep that mental edge.

A study published in the June issue of Neurology followed 2,500 people aged 70-79 over eight years, giving them cognitive tests during that period.

The researchers found that roughly half of the seniors had the normal, expected decline during that time. Around 16 percent showed a more significant decline.

But nearly a third – 30 percent – showed no change at all. Some in that group even appeared to grow sharper.

How’d they manage that? Researchers found four key differences in these sharper seniors: exercise, education, not smoking and socializing.

And these are all good areas to focus on.

In the study, researchers found that seniors who got moderate-to-vigorous exercise at least once a week were 30 percent more likely to hold on to their mental skills.

I don’t think anyone needs to be running marathons, especially if you’re 79 years old. But find something you enjoy that gets your muscles moving and your blood pumping, even if it’s just a regular walk through the park at a steady pace.

Education – at least, formal education – is probably something you can’t change much at this point in your life. In this study, researchers found that folks with at least a high school education were three times more likely to stay sharp.

But there’s a larger point here that’s a little harder to measure, and that’s the importance of learning, no matter how old you are. Whether you read a book or attend a senior class at the local college, I believe you can help yourself stay sharp by continually making your mind do some real work.

I never advocate smoking, and here’s another reason to kick the habit: non-smokers were twice as likely to hold onto their mental skills as smokers.

Finally, the researchers zeroed in on something we’ve talked about plenty in recent months: socializing.

We’ve known all along that seniors who keep active socially have a better chance of living longer and warding off age-related conditions like dementia.

And researchers in this latest study found that seniors who volunteered, worked or even just lived with someone else were 24 percent more likely to stay sharp than those who don’t.

These researchers didn’t seem to consider the role of diet, but good nutrition is important at any age. If you fail to eat well, you risk not only gaining weight, but also losing focus and energy if you deprive yourself of key nutrients.

If you’re older, keep these tips in mind.

But even if you’re not, these are all great habits, whether you’re 17 or 71. Enjoy them now, and enjoy them even more later in life, when these habits help you live better in your golden years.

Ask most diabetics if they would have made changes to their lives earlier if they knew they could have stopped the disease, and the answer is always yes.

It’s always yes, but far too many people don’t make those changes until it’s too late.

A new study shows the direct – if obvious – connection between lifestyle and diabetes.

The study, published in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, followed nearly 5,000 seniors over 10 years and looked at four key lifestyle habits: physical activity, diet, smoking, and drinking alcohol.

The researchers found that folks who get their exercise and eat well had a 46 percent lower incidence of diabetes. Folks who did well in all four areas and weren’t overweight were 89 percent less likely to develop the disease.

On the one hand, this study offers little new information. The risk factors for diabetes are as obvious as an approaching tornado, regardless of age.

On the other hand, we know this, yet – like that approaching tornado – as a nation we’ve been powerless to stop it. This study at least helps lay out that direct impact of our lifestyles on the condition, because we’re really not powerless when it comes to avoiding diabetes.

Part of the problem, of course, is that many people make their bad lifestyle decisions entirely on their own.

But that’s not the whole story.

Even folks who want to eat and live right often make terrible decisions, and that’s because almost everything we’ve been told about eating is flat-out wrong.

For generations, the conventional wisdom has been that all fat is bad. No distinction was made between healthy and necessary fats – like those that contain essential omega 3 fatty acids – and bad fats.

As a result, we’ve been programmed to look for low-fat foods that are high in carbs and low in nutritional value – the main ingredients in what I call the Torture Chamber Diet.

And that, more than anything, is responsible for the epidemics of obesity and diabetes, along with our rising levels of heart disease and overall poor health.

Stop killing yourself inside that torture chamber. Don’t wait until it’s too late – if you find you’re gaining weight, eating poorly and not moving around as much as you should, make some changes now.

The alternative is waiting for that tornado to hit.