Exercise is Seriously Important for Better Health

Regular physical activity, exercise, and fitness are critically important for the health and well being of people of all ages. Research has demonstrated that virtually all individuals can benefit from regular physical activity, whether they participate in vigorous exercise or some type of moderate health-enhancing physical activity. Even among frail and very old adults, mobility and functioning can be improved through physical activity.¹ Therefore, Americans of all ages should make physical fitness a priority.

Exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of developing or dying from heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure. On average, people who are physically active outlive those who are inactive.^2-7

Regular exercise improves health in the following ways⁸:

• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely from heart disease and other conditions;
• Reduces the risk of developing diabetes;
• Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure;
• Reduces blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure;
• Reduces the risk of developing colon and breast cancer⁵;
• Helps to maintain a healthy weight;
• Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints;
• Helps older adults to become stronger and better able to move about without falling;
• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety; and
• Promotes psychological well-being.

Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, most adults and many children lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle and are not active enough to achieve these health benefits.

Participation in regular physical activity— at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on at least five days per week, or 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity at least three times per week—is critical to sustaining good health.

Regular exercise along with a nutritious diet is key to maintaining a healthy weight. In order to maintain a healthy weight, there must be a balance between calories consumed and calories expended through metabolic and physical activity. Although overweight and obesity are caused by many factors, in most individuals, weight gain results from a combination of excess calorie consumption and inadequate physical activity.

Each person must understand the value of physical activity for his or her health and well-being and commit to a lifestyle that is truly active.

References

1. Butler RN, Davis R, Lewis CB, et al. Physical fitness: benefits of exercising for the older patient. Geriatrics 53(10):46-62. 1998.

2. Paffenbarger RS, Hyde RT, Wing AL, et al. The association of changes in physical-activity level and other lifestyle characteristics with mortality among men. N Engl J Med 328(8):538-45. 1993.

3. Sherman SE, D’Agostino RB, Cobb JL, et al. Physical activity and mortality in women in the Framingham Heart Study. Am Heart J 128(5):879-84. 1994.

4. Kaplan GAA, Strawbridge WJ, Cohen RD, et al. Natural history of leisure-time physical activity and its correlates: Associations with mortality from all causes and cardiovascular diseases over 28 years. Am J Epid 144(8):793-97. 1996.

5. Kushi LH, Fee RM, Folsom AR, et al. Physical activity and mortality in postmenopausal women. JAMA 277:1287-92. 1997.

6. Lee CD, Blair SN, Jackson AS. Cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in men. Am J Clin Nutr 69 (3):373-80. 1999.

7. Wei M, Kampert JB, Barlow CE, et al. Relationship between low cardiorespiratory fitness and mortality in normal-weight, overweight, and obese men. JAMA 282(16):1547-53. 1999.

8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical activity and health: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 1996.

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