CHICAGO (Reuters) - Put away the snow blower and get out the snow shovel - clearing sidewalks the old-fashioned way can improve health and help shed pounds just as well as a formal exercise programme, researchers said. A pair of studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association compared fitness levels of adults. The studies found that taking a brisk walk, raking leaves and climbing the stairs instead of catching the elevator can prove to be as effective as a formal exercise programme in improving blood pressure and heart and respiratory fitness. In a study of 235 sedentary men by the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research in Dallas, those assigned to a traditional exercise programme improved their fitness more than adults who made lifestyle activity changes during the first six months. But over the full two-year study period, the first group`s fitness declined by more than that of the lifestyle group, leaving the two at similar fitness levels at the end of the study. A second study of 40 overweight women by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore produced similar results in terms of weight loss. Study author Ross Andersen compared the results of a diet programme on two groups: one that participated in a programmed aerobic exercise and the other that increased its participation in common activities such as daily walks, yard work and household chores. After 16 weeks, the mean weight loss was 8.3 kg in the aerobic exercise group and 7.9 kg for the lifestyle group. The researchers found significant reductions in cholesterol and triglycerides in both groups, and also found a larger weight gain in the aerobic group after a one-year follow-up. The National Institutes of Health`s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute said lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for heart disease and contributes to other illnesses.