The Health Benefits of Exercise

The benefits of exercise are far-reaching. Clinical and

epidemiological studies have demonstrated that regular aerobic

exercise reduces the risk of death due to heart disease and stroke,

aids in reducing weight, helps prevent diabetes mellitus, strengthens

bones, and enhances immune function. The psychological benefits are

also broad, and most studies suggest a positive relationship between

physical fitness and mental achievement.

The relationship between regular aerobic exercise and cardiovascular

health and longevity is well established. Regular exercise leads to a

reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, in which fatty

deposits (plaque) form in blood vessels supplying the muscular wall of

the heart, compromising oxygen delivery to the heart muscle. In

addition, with regular exercise the efficiency of the heart during

exercise is increased.

Many people exercise to lose weight. A calorie is a unit that measures

the energy content of foods and the energy expenditure by the body.

When the daily calorie intake from food is the same as calories

expended from exercise, weight remains the same. The number of

calories burned during exercise varies greatly with the type of

physical activity, but the key to successful weight reduction is to

exercise regularly, without increasing food intake proportionally. For

example, walking one hour per day may utilize only 300 calories of

energy per day, a small fraction of an individual's daily caloric

intake. However, over a period, if food consumption is simultaneously

reduced or remains the same, significant weight loss will result. One

sound approach to reducing calories is to...

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...ng at a rate of 1 mile per ten minutes),

it is possible to track your fitness progress; over a period of

several weeks, the same exercise will produce a lower heart rate.

Similarly, the intensity of exercise (such as the speed of jogging)

required to produce a given rise in heart rate will increase.

The most important aspect of getting in shape is to make exercise an

integral part of one's lifestyle. Exercising to stay as physically fit

and healthy as possible should be a lifelong commitment, and is

especially important to people who perform little physical work in

their day-to-day lives.

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[1] Lemura L.M., Von Dubillard S.P., Mookerjee S. The Effects of Physical Exercise on Functional Capacity in Adults. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2010;40:1-10.