Health Benefits from Regular Physical Fitness Activity

Regular physical fitness activity benefits all your organ systems, and as a result it helps to prevent many health problems and diseases. Although the benefits of physical activity increase with more frequent or more intense activity, substantial benefits are evident even with moderate levels of activity.

Physical activity at any age produces three major health benefits:

These benefits of physical activity are especially important for aging men and women, because of the increased likelihood to develop chronic diseases and conditions that can affect physical function, for example arthritis.

Regular physical activity has beneficial effects that are supported by consistent scientific evidence are:

  • lower risk of obesity
  • lower risk of diabetes
  • lower risk of colon cancer
  • lower risk of falls and injury
  • improved function in persons with arthritis
  • improved quality of life and improved functioning
  • improved mood and relief of symptoms of depression
  • lower overall mortality ~ greatest among the most active persons, but were also evident for moderate activity
  • lower risk of coronary heart disease ~ cardiac risk of being inactive is comparable to the risk from smoking cigarettes
  • lower risk of developing high blood pressure~ exercise also lowers blood pressure in individuals who already have hypertension

Additional possible benefits of physical activity (research is less consistent) include:

  • improved sleep quality
  • lower risk of depression
  • lower risk of breast cancer
  • bone loss and fracture prevention post-menopause

The benefits of regular physical fitness activity are “downright” to big to pass up. And it doesn’t cost anything. Just get moving!

Filed under: Fitness

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