MedicineNet.com
  MedicineNet home Picture Slideshows Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Health and Living Health news and views MedTerms medical dictionary  
Font Size
A
A
A


Health Tips for Healthy Living

Medical Author: Dennis Lee, MD
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Physical activity and exercise

Benefits of regular exercise:

  • Regular exercise can prevent and reverse age-related decreases in muscle mass and strength, improve balance, flexibility, and endurance, and decrease the risk of falls in the elderly. Regular exercise can help prevent coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. Regular, weight-bearing exercise can also help prevent osteoporosis by building bone strength.
  • Regular exercise can help chronic arthritis sufferers improve their capacity to perform daily activities such as driving, climbing stairs, and opening jars.
  • Regular exercise can help increase self-esteem and self-confidence, decrease stress and anxiety, enhance mood, and improve general mental health.
  • Regular exercise can help control weight gain.

Consequences of physical inactivity and lack of exercise:

  • Physical inactivity and lack of exercise are associated with heart disease and some cancers.
  • Physical inactivity and lack of exercise are associated with Type II diabetes mellitus (also known as maturity or adult onset, non-insulin dependent diabetes).
  • Physical inactivity and lack of exercise contribute to weight gain.

Exercise recommendations:

  • 30 minutes of modest exercise (walking is OK) at least three to five days a week is recommended. But, the greatest health benefits come from exercising most days of the week.
  • Exercise can be broken up into smaller 10-minute sessions.
  • Start slowly and progress gradually to avoid injury or excessive soreness or fatigue. Over time, build up to 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day.
  • People are never too old to start exercising. Even frail, elderly individuals (ages 70-90 years) can improve their strength and balance.

Exercise precautions:

Individuals can begin moderate exercise, such as walking, without a medical examination. The following persons, however, should consult a doctor before beginning more vigorous exercise:

  • Men over age 40 or women over age 50.
  • Individuals with heart or lung disease, asthma, arthritis, or osteoporosis.
  • Individuals who experience chest pressure or pain with exertion, or who develop fatigue or shortness of breath easily.
  • Individuals with conditions that increase their risks of developing coronary heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoking, high blood cholesterol, or having family members who had early onset heart attacks and coronary heart disease.


Next: Avoid tobacco use »


Printer-Friendly Format  |  Email to a Friend


space Related health and medical articles From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com MedicineNet Doctors recommend space
space
MedicineNet Doctors Recommend Latest Medical News
space

Weight Loss Wisdom

Get tips, recipes and inspiration.




Topics Related to Healthy Living & Disease Prevention

Healthy Living
RSS FeedSpecialty RSS       Add to My Yahoo! What is this?

Fast-Food SurvivalFast-Food Survival
You really can eat healthy in today's fat-filled, fast-food world. Find out how. See more WebMD Videos »








Adult Skin Problems Slideshow




Health categories:

News & Views | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Health & Living | Medical Dictionary

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Cancer | Diabetes | Digestion | Healthy Kids | Heart | Men's Health | Mental Health | Women's Health | More...

Publications:

ePublications (PDFs) | XML News via RSS | Audio Podcasts | Email Newsletters

MedicineNet.com:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Search Help | Site Map | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

HON Code We comply with the HONcode standard for health trust worthy information:
verify here.

©1996-2008 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Notices and Legal Disclaimer.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.