It’s also the amount of time it takes to start rebuilding your body.

Face it: as Americans, we don’t exactly lead the healthiest lives. Whether you want to place the blame on our fast food culture, our addiction to computers/television, or any other of a thousand reasons, the plain truth is that the 2/3rds of Americans who are overweight or obese aren’t living right. In fact, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health recently concluded that as many as 86 percent of Americans could be overweight or obese by 2030.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. If Morgan Spurlock can destroy his body in a month, you can start rebuilding yours in the same time frame. Even if you aren’t overweight, the benefits of regular exercise are thoroughly documented, and can help curb obesity, reduce the risk of heart disease and even treat depression.

The latter reason is probably why I started exercising again regularly several weeks ago. I was going through several serious situations in my life, any one of which would be hard enough to deal with on its own. By setting aside time everyday to run, I was able to clear my mind and put away those problems (however briefly). For me, running gave me something else to focus and channel my energy on that I would have otherwise probably spent worrying and giving myself an ulcer. For someone else that passion could just as easily be football, cycling, or anything else.

My new behavior had two inadvertent side effects. First, I started eating (a little) better. I cut out a lot of the fast food food from my diet, and instead started eating meals that kept a better balance of my carbs, protein, and fat. I didn’t really do it to lose weight, I just noticed that the better I ate, the better I was able to run (and the opposite was also true).

Second, I did lose weight. In fact, I lost weight faster than I probably should have. The FDA reccommends cutting back 500 calories and day and doing 30 minutes of daily exercise to safely lose 1-2 pounds a week. In reality, I seemed to be doing about twice that. While I wouldn’t in good conscious recommend anyone follow an unsafe plan, that’s just kind of the way it worked for me.

Anyway, over the last week I’ve had the chance to catch up with several different people that I haven’t seen in a month or two. Almost all have remarked that I appear to be noticeably fitter and leaner. Indeed, while I never thought my appearance had changed (which was never a goal of mine in the first place), I had dropped 20 pounds (and clothing sizes) since I started keeping track of my nutrition.

It’s easy to start a new activity, only to give it up a week later. That’s why I would probably credit most of my newfound health to a friend who also had a renewed commitment to living better. In fact, we even made a friendly bet to see who could run the most in 30 days. I just barely squeaked out a win on the last day with 69.09 miles to her 67.85 miles. The point, however, is that it’s infinitely easier to do something when you’ve got someone supportive there with you, each step of the way. I know I owe my friend more than she probably realizes. And a good playlist on the iPod certainly doesn’t hurt, either.

For anyone considering getting back in shape, I would highly recommend using Gyminee. You can register for free and begin tracking your daily nutrition and workouts. The site is really easy to use and the nutrition charts in particular give you a better idea of what you’re eating and where to improve. Even if you’re just dieting and not exercising at all, a recent study shows that keeping a log of what you eat will help you lose twice as much weight as someone who doesn’t.

Finally, the best advice I can give someone starting a new goal, no matter what it involves, is to be realistic. Some people see quick results, but don’t expect that to be the norm - we’re all wired differently. No one becomes fat or out-of-shape overnight: it’s a gradual process to get there, and it’s a gradual process to come back from. Just try spending a month focusing on your health, however, and you might be surprised.

As for my next goal? I’m going to see if I’ll be able to run the Columbus Half-Marathon come October. Provided, of course that I come back from Munich, Germany alive and well.

Ah, but that’s another story for another day.