Regular exercise is one of your most important health habits. Physical activity can improve brain health, and weight management, prevent disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and make it easier to perform everyday tasks.
Some health benefits exist for adults who sit less often and engage in moderate-to-vigorous activity. A few lifestyle choices can have as big an impact on your health and wellbeing as physical activity.
Everybody can reap the health benefits from physical activity, regardless of age, ability, race, shape, size, or ethnicity.
Immediate Benefits
After a session of moderate to vigorous physical activity, there are some benefits to brain health . Children aged 6-13 years old have better thinking and cognition, while adults feel less anxious short-term. Regular exercise can improve your ability to think, learn, and judge. You will also be less likely to experience depression or anxiety, and you will sleep better.
Weight Management
Weight management is a combination of eating habits and physical activity. When you consume more calories by eating and drinking than you burn during exercise, you will gain weight.
To Maintain your weight: Get up to 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, which could include gardening or dancing. With 30 minutes per day and 5 days a semaine, you could reach 150 minutes per week.
Individuals have different needs when it comes to physical activity for weight management. To maintain or reach a healthy weight, you may need to be more active than other people.
To lose weight, and keep it off: Unless you change your eating habits and decrease the calories you consume, you will need to be active. Healthy eating and regular exercise are key to maintaining a healthy weight.
More information is available at:
- Get started with weight Loss.
- Get started with Physical Activity.
- Improve your eating habits.
Reduce your health risk
Are You Afraid to Get Hurt?
Good news is that moderate exercise, such as walking briskly, is safe for most people.
Cardiovascular Disease
The two most common causes of death in America are stroke and heart disease. These diseases can be reduced by engaging in moderate activity for at least 150 minutes per week. You can lower your risk by getting more exercise. Regular exercise can lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol.
Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome
Regular exercise can lower your chance of developing type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome refers to excessive fat around the waist, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL), high triglycerides, and high blood sugar. Even if they do not meet the 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, people start to notice benefits. Increased physical activity reduces risk even further.
Certain Cancers
Your risk of developing many common types of cancer is lower if you are physically active. The chances of getting cancer in adulthood are lower for those who exercise more.
- Bladder
- Breast
- Colon (proximal, distal)
- Endometrium
- Esophagus (adenocarcinoma)
- Kidney
- Lung
- Stomach (cardia and not-cardia Adenocarcinoma).
Being a cancer survivor means you will have a better quality of life and a higher level of physical fitness.
Strengthen your Bones and Muscles
It’s vital to maintain your bones, joints and muscles as you age. They support your body and allow you to move. You can keep your bones, joints, muscles and muscles healthy so you are able to do daily activities and stay active.
Lifting weights or other muscle-strengthening exercises can help increase your strength and muscle mass. This is especially important for seniors who have lost muscle mass or strength as a result of aging. No matter your age, you will reap the benefits of muscle strengthening exercises by slowly increasing your weight and repetitions.
Enhance your ability to perform daily activities and prevent falls
You can do everyday activities like climbing stairs, shopping or playing with your grandchildren. Functional limitations are the inability to perform everyday activities. Functional limitations are less common in physically active older adults and middle-aged people.
A variety of activities can improve the physical function of older adults and reduce the chance of falling or injuring themselves from a fall. You can include aerobic, muscle strengthening, balance training, and other physical activities. As part of a structured program, multicomponent exercise can be done at home as well as in the community.
Hip fracture can be caused by a fall. A broken hip can have devastating effects on your life, especially for older adults. Hip fractures are less common in physically active people than inactive.
Increase your chances of living longer.
How much physical activity do I need?
Check out these recommendations for physical activity for different age groups:
- Children age 3-5.
- Children and teens aged 6-17.
- Adults aged 18-64.
- Adults 65 years and older.
- Adults suffering from chronic conditions or disabilities.
A small increase in moderate-to-vigorous activity among US adults aged 40 or older could prevent an estimated 110,000 deaths each year. A mere 10 minutes per day could make a big difference.
Walking more per day helps reduce the chance of all causes of death. The risk of premature death for adults under 60 is approximately 8,000 to 10,000 steps daily. Adults 60 years and older have a risk of premature deaths that range from 6,000 to 8,000 steps per daily.
Manage chronic health conditions & disabilities.
Regular exercise can help with chronic conditions and disabilities. Regular physical activity, for example, can help with the following:
- Adults with arthritis can reduce pain and improve their function, mood and quality of living.
- It helps to control blood sugar and reduces the risk of developing heart disease or nerve damage in type 2 diabetics.
- Help support persons with disabilities in daily living and independence.
