Score your health smarts: our 4-point quiz helps you determine which areas you need to make over this year. The payoff? A happier, healthier you!

Shape, Jan, 2005 by Susan Bierma

Maybe you work out every day, but can't remember the last time you saw your doctor. Or you never miss your annual exam, but healthful eating in between is just too much of a hassle. Most of us have at least a few habits that could use some improvement. Take our quiz to find out which areas of healthy living deserve more of your attention in 2005. Then, read on for easy ways to reshape your lifestyle.

QUIZ: Test your wellness know-how: Answer true or false to the following statements in each category.

1. Physical activity

* I get less than 30 minutes of physical activity on most days. True or False

* I don't exercise because I can't afford a gym membership or home equipment. True or False

* I can't find time to work out. True or False

2. Diet & nutrition

* I'm too busy to prepare healthful meals. I grab what I can. True or False

* I take a multivitamin almost every day, so I don't worry too much about eating fruits and vegetables. True or False

* I eat more than my fair share of sweets and/or junk food. True or False

3. Rest & emotional well-being

* When I'm busy, I cut back on sleep in order to get everything done. True or False

* When I'm stressed, I generally just power through it. True or False

* I haven't pursued a passion of mine in a long while. True or False

* I don't regularly connect with something bigger than my day-to-day concerns, such as enjoying nature, meditating or doing service for others. True or False

4. Seeing the doc

* I tend to put off my annual appointment with the gynecologist. True or False

* I don't tell my doctor everything about my health habits--like smoking or having unsafe sex--and/or my family history. True or False

* I haven't been to the dentist in more than a year. True or False

HOW YOU SCORED

If you answered true to any of the questions in a category, consider making that health component more of a priority this year. (The more "trues" you have in a certain area, the more emphasis you may want to give it). But don't feel overwhelmed if you need to make improvements across the board--most of us do! Here, with the help of our panel of experts, Shape shows you how each habit affects your health and provides simple steps to get you going in the right direction.

Physical activity

It does a body (and mind) good

Combined with poor diet, physical inactivity is the second most common preventable cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So, get moving! You'll not only reduce your risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, colon cancer and breast cancer; exercise also will help you maintain a healthy weight, bones, muscles and joints and reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "There is virtually no system in the body that isn't in some way favorably impacted by regular exercise," says Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D., chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise.

For general health benefits, 30 minutes of moderate activity five or more times a week will do it. If you're looking to keep your weight down, however, shoot for 60 minutes, Bryant says. For beginners, he suggests moderate cardiovascular exercise such as walking, which doesn't require a gym or equipment other than a decent pair of athletic shoes. It's also important to include resistance training to preserve and build muscle mass and help prevent osteoporosis, Bryant adds. Resistance bands and dumbbells are inexpensive tools you can use at home.

No energy? If you become more active, you'll have more stamina, Bryant says. No time? You don't have to get your 30-60 minutes in all at once, and anything, even 10 minutes, is better than nothing. "The effects of exercise are cumulative," Bryant says. "Every little bit counts."

Diet & nutrition

Keep your plate colorful

Poor eating habits are second only to tobacco as the leading cause of cancer worldwide. Eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean cuts of meat, and lowfat or nonfat dairy products may help prevent not just cancer, but heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels as well, according to Jeannie Moloo, Ph.D., R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

So what's the simplest way to make sure you're eating right? "When you prepare your plate, include something from each food group," Moloo says. And the less processed, the better (think vegetables, not vegetable-flavored crackers).

When grocery shopping, choose foods high in dietary fiber, she adds, such as cereal with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving, bread with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain rice. In addition to eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, this will aid you in getting 25-30 grams of dietary fiber a day, which studies have shown helps prevent some types of cancer, Moloo says. Fiber also helps fight heart disease and makes you feel fuller longer, fending off weight gain, she adds.