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The need for regular physical activity has never before been higher than it is now. Alarming rates of heart disease and obesity are growing, and a lot of this is due to the fact that physical activity is at a low point for humans today. We simply do not need to get up and move around as much as we used to. Technology has stepped in and relieved us of the need to constantly exert ourselves, and so the need to actively seek activity is born. Unfortunately, most people only seek activity in the form of hard physical exercise ' going to a gym, jogging, or other similar things. These are all wonderful for the body, but they require a lot of dedication, effort, and discipline, and as a result they can be hard to stick with. What we need are forms of exercise that are fun and slightly less challenging to help get us active and lose those pounds. Below are four great ideas.

Ping-pong or 'Table tennis' as it is officially known is a great sport for getting active. As a scaled-down version of tennis, ping-pong is a fun sport with a fast pace but isn't nearly as physically demanding as its larger counterpart. It can be taken up by anyone, and will get your body moving, build your reflexes, and get your heart pumping. It's a great source of exercise that will burn a lot of calories without leaving you winded and drained of energy. The rules are extremely simple and can be learned in minutes, and as long as you have a table it can played anytime. It is also a very enjoyable sport, and when playing with a friend you'll find yourself staying with it for much longer than you had originally intended.

Badminton is another great sport for exercise. Though it's slightly more physically demanding than table tennis, badminton can really be played at any pace. The specially designed birdie lofts through the air much slower than a tennis ball, so you can enjoy this sport on a leisurely level, or push further and play harder and really get your body working. Either way you'll be burning calories and getting the exercise you need, but you'll have a lot of fun doing it. While badminton is normally played on a full-sized court, you can play it in your own backyard with just a birdie and two rackets. Because of its varying levels of physical exertion and the ability to play anywhere badminton is a very versatile sport.

No exercise is as beneficial for your cardiovascular system as swimming. Your heart has to work hard to move your body's weight through water, and having to hold your breath and control it exercises your lungs and makes them more capable of delivering oxygen to your blood. Swimming is also one of the highest rated forms of exercise for burning calories in a relatively short period of time. The greatest benefit to swimming is that most people love to do it. You don't have to make laps and swim like an athlete to get the benefits of swimming. Leisure swimming, diving, and treading water are all that's required. It's easy to do for long periods of time, helping your body to burn unwanted fat. Best of all, when you're ready to call it quits, all you have to do is pull over a float, kick back, and enjoy a few rays.

Finally, we have a form of exercise that is truly unique: video gaming on the Nintendo Wii console. The Wii is marketed as the first video game system that actually promotes physical activity, and Nintendo has actually developed several games that are geared towards motion and exercise. Never before has a person been able to burn calories as they play a video game, but now you can conveniently do so from your own home. Aside from exercise games, there are also several sports games that will get you moving and competing. The beauty is that none of these games are as physically demanding as the sports they represent, but they will get you moving and burning energy and exerting yourself. You can also easily get yourself caught up in competition with your friends, playing for hours as you burn calories and build up the strength of your heart.

While it is true that Americans are getting less exercise than ever before, a new trend of convenient, casual exercise methods may very well change that. You don't need expensive gyms or intense exercise routines that are difficult to stick to lose weight or get in better shape ' you simply need to find something you enjoy that gets you onto your feet. If you really enjoy it, you won't feel like you have to commit to anything, and you'll spend much more time on it. There are a lot of great ways to burn calories and tone your body, so look for whatever best suits you!