The Importance of Exercise

The Importance of Exercise

Exercise is not just for Olympic athletes or supermodels. In fact, you're never too unfit, too young or too old to do it. Regardless of your age, gender or role in life, you can benefit from regular physical activity. If you're committed, exercise in combination with a sensible diet can help provide an overall sense of well-being and can even help prevent chronic illness, disability and premature death. Some of the benefits of increased activity are Improved Health, increased efficiency of heart and lungs, reduced cholesterol levels, increased muscle strength, reduced blood pressure, and reduced risk of major illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, weight loss.

Aerobic and strengthening exercises can result in weight loss when combined with a calorie-reducing diet. Without exercise, dieting can cause the loss of muscle as well as fat. An aerobic exercise regimen burns fat, while at the same time building muscle. This may mean less dramatic weight loss, but since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, the result is longer lasting. Exercising for 20 to 30 minutes three times a week can reverse years of cardio-neglect. Regular exercise strengthens the heart, resulting in more blood and oxygen flow throughout the body. At the same time, aerobic exercise lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, both major health risks for many. Physical fitness helps you look young and be healthy. It keeps your body in top shape and provides you with the energy and stamina you need to pursue all your interests. It can prolong life, and most importantly exercise will help you stay fit and trim. You can control your weight and preserve a youthful shape with regular physical exercise. You'll burn more fat and, over time, bring your body fat percentage into a healthy range. You'll also increase your muscle mass. With more muscle mass your body burns more calories both while you are exercising and while you are at rest. With a little research you can learn which exercises will best help you to firm and shape specific areas of your body. Remember to maintain a balanced routine so as not to overwork or risk injury to a specific muscle group. As you shape and strengthen your muscles they are better able to help support your spine, a key factor in good posture. By stretching you can improve your flexibility and contribute to the smooth functioning of your joints. Together, healthy bones and muscles help you to keep your balance, move with agility and grace, and maintain a healthy and youthful appearance. Regular physical activity fortifies your immune system and helps you to avoid or recover more quickly from colds and other minor maladies. It can also help to prevent and in some cases reverse many chronic conditions we associate with aging: coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, some cancers, arthritis, osteoporosis, and depression. Fitness results in better coordination of muscles and an increase in strength, flexibility and stamina. While improvements in these areas certainly help athletic performance, they also help reduce the risk of injury -- stronger, limber muscles are less susceptible to strain and sprain. If you are inactive, you lose muscle tone and strength. Your bones lose density making them fragile and prone to the debilitating fractures of osteoporosis. You might also be overweight, adding stress to both your heart and your skeletal support structure while increasing your risk for coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Regular exercise helps to burn fat, build muscle and restore bone strength. As muscle and bone take up their