That's a Lot of Wood

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Is it just me, or does the recommendation of 60 to 90 minutes a day of "moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity" in the government's new Dietary Guidelines for Americans seem even more implausible than the nine servings of fruits and vegetables the pamphlet says we should be eating every day? Mind you, this exercise is above and beyond normal activities like climbing the stairs to change a diaper or running after a toddler who has swiped the scissors from your desk. "Moderate physical activity" includes hiking, dancing, and bicycling below 10 miles per hour. "Vigorous physical activity" includes running, faster biking, and chopping wood. Aside from the sheer effort, it's just hard for me to imagine fitting an hour and a half of such activities into my daily schedule. Even managing a half-hour a day on the NordicTrack elliptical machine was a challenge. Maybe if every seat in the house was a stationary bike…