Ask Daniel Rigby the one thing you should do to cut health risks and get into shape and he will probably say “exercise.”

On his 45th birthday last month, the president of Human Resource Management Systems, LLC completed the Naperville Sprint Triathlon (400 meter swim, 12.4 mile bike ride, 3.1 mile run). He finished his first-ever event in the respectable time of 1 hour 26 minutes.

What makes this particularly noteworthy is the fact that just a few months earlier Dan was definitely not in top form, and he had a scary cholesterol reading of about 330! His wake up call came when a friend and business colleague him told him he looked terrible. At the same time his doctor was recommending cholesterol-lowering drugs. Dan realized it was time to take charge. He did not want to start taking drugs, so he accepted his friend’s exercise challenge. In April of this year, Dan began jogging – just a couple miles to start. He reports seeing results right away, and estimates he was losing about 2 ½ pounds a week. By June his weight had dropped from 243 to about 217. At that point he decided to enter the August Naperville Sprint Triathlon, adding biking and swimming to his routine. He now rides about 80 miles a week – 50+ miles on the weekend and 30 during the week.

As of late August Dan weighed a very respectable 203, his cholesterol had plummeted from 330 to 190, and his body fat percentage was 21 (down from 27% last spring).

Dan credits 99% of his success to his increased activity levels. The biggest changes in his diet are portion control and water consumption. “My portions have changed dramatically,” he says, adding that he now eats six to seven minimealsa day, and drinks “a lot of water.”

When Dan crossed the triathlon finish line last month, he said it was one of the hardest things he has done. Now he is looking forward to more events…and he’s even eyeing the Iron Man competition in two years.

Postscript: There is more than one road to health, but you have to make an effort to find your “path.” When we say we don’t have the time, it’s often more a case of motivation. The Nike slogan applies nicely here. Do SOMETHING. Ask a friend with a gym membership to get you a week’s pass, just so you can try out different activities. (You don’t have to join the gym.) Rent a bike or take a boxing lesson. Explore your options. Find an activity that fits you, and you will make the time.