Why Should You Exercise?

The overall benefit of being active and fit is an improved quality of life—being able to do things you enjoy for longer periods of time (for example, playing with the kids, gardening, dancing, or walking).
Research repeatedly shows that fitness is a strong measure of health. In a study of more than 25,000 volunteers, researchers at the Cooper Institute found that a person's fitness level was more important than body weight. Men in the study who were overweight or obese but who were physically fit had a lower risk of death than men who were a healthy weight but were not physically fit.1
Being fit improves your overall health and reduces your risk of disease.
Short-term benefits include:2
A healthier heart. Physical activity makes demands on your heart that make it stronger and better able to function.
Healthy muscles, bones, and joints. Resistance training such as weight lifting improves muscular strength and endurance and increases bone density, which is especially important for older adults to prevent falls and injuries.3
Increased burning of calories. Physical activity burns calories and helps you achieve a healthy balance between the calories you take in from food and those you expend. (To find out how many calories are burned during different activities, use this Interactive Tool: How Many Calories Did You Burn?) When you exercise regularly, your body burns more calories, both during activity and at rest. Being fit may also lower your percentage of body fat and increase muscle strength and tone. Your percentage of body fat depends on genetics, lifestyle, and physical activities.

No matter what your size or shape, physical activity has important health benefits. These may include:
Improved ability to fall asleep and sleep well.
Increased energy.
Increased mental acuity—sharper and faster thinking.
Better mental health and ability to cope with stress. People who are fit have less anxiety, depression, and stress than people who aren't active.4

Long-term benefits include reduced risk of:2, 5
Dying early.
Developing coronary artery disease. Men who are not active have about twice the risk of developing heart disease as men who are regularly physically active.4
Having a second heart attack. Also, people who get regular physical activity as part of a cardiac rehabilitation program have a lower risk of dying from a heart attack.4
Developing high blood pressure. Regular physical activity can also lower blood pressure in those who have high blood pressure.6
Developing type 2 diabetes. Physical activity may prevent type 2 diabetes through its effect on insulin, how the body processes sugar, and maintenance of body weight.
Developing colon cancer or other cancers.
Becoming obese.
Get moving: How to add more activity to your life
Note: Most people should talk to a health professional first before beginning a regular exercise program, especially those who have conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, heart valve disease, or diabetes. If you are at risk for or have some of these conditions, your health professional may want to help you build a plan matched to your needs. He or she may want to do tests before you start a plan or want you to be more careful and watch for injuries or other problems.

courtesy of : http://health.yahoo.com/fitness-overview/fitness/healthwise--ftpln.html

Fitness Overview

What is fitness?

Fitness means being in good physical condition. We often think of athletes as being very fit. They tend to focus on performance-related fitness for sports.
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But you don't have to be an athlete to be fit. Doing more physical activity improves your fitness and health, no matter what size or shape you are.
This topic focuses on health-related fitness, which helps you feel your best and lowers your risk for certain diseases. Making small changes in your daily lifestyle helps you improve your fitness.

What are the benefits of fitness?

Fitness helps you feel better and have more energy for work and leisure time. You'll feel more able to do things like playing with your kids, gardening, dancing, or biking. Children and teens who are fit may have more energy and better focus at school.
When you stay active and fit, you burn more calories, even when you're at rest. This can help you lose weight if you need to. It also can help you to sleep better, handle stress better, and keep your mind sharp.
Fitness is good for your heart, lungs, bones, and joints. And it lowers your risk for heart attack, colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

How much physical activity do you need for health-related fitness?

To improve your health, it’s important to make physical activity part of your daily life.
One way is to get some moderate activity for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week or more. Brisk walking is one kind of moderate activity.
Or you can do more vigorous exercise, like running, for at least 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week or more. This is activity that raises your heart rate to 70% or more of your maximum heart rate. To find your target heart rate for exercising, use the Interactive Tool: What Is Your Target Heart Rate?
Children and teens should be active for at least 1 hour each day.
Here’s how you can tell if an activity or exercise is making you work hard enough. If you can't talk while you do it, you're working too hard. You're at the right level if you can talk but not sing during the activity.

What types of physical activity improve fitness?

The activities you choose depend on which kind of fitness you want to improve. There are three different kinds of fitness:
Flexibility is the ability to move your joints and muscles through their full range of motion. Stretching is an exercise that helps you to be more flexible.
Aerobic fitness means increasing how well your body uses oxygen. This depends on the condition of your heart, lungs, and muscles. Any activity that raises your heart rate, such as walking or running, can improve aerobic fitness.
Muscle fitness means building stronger muscles and increasing how long you can use them (called endurance). Activities like weight lifting or push-ups can improve your muscular fitness.
You may be in better shape in one kind of fitness than another. For example, you might be flexible but have poor muscle strength. It’s best to work on all three kinds of fitness.

How can you be more physically active?

If you're ready to add more physical activity to your life, here are some tips to get you started:
Make physical activity part of your routine, like brushing your teeth or going to work. Try biking to work at least once a week, using the stairs more often, or walking to do errands near home. But talk to your doctor before you start an exercise routine, especially if you haven't been very active or have health problems.
Walking is one of the best fitness activities. To keep up a routine, you can walk with family members, friends, coworkers, or pets. Keep track of your steps with a step counter or pedometer, which you can buy at a sporting goods store. This can help motivate you to walk more.
Schedule activity for times that you're likely to stick with it. For example, walk in the morning if you tend to talk yourself out of it later in the day. If you don't have time for one 30-minute walk, break it up into three 10-minute walks.
Find a partner to do your activities with. This can make exercising more enjoyable.
If you want a more structured exercise routine, consider joining a health club or a community center that offers fitness activities.
Find an activity that you enjoy, and stay with it. Vary it with other activities so you don't get bored. For example, walk 3 days a week, and switch to swimming or biking on the other days. Join a softball, volleyball, or basketball league for fun and exercise. By finding more activities you enjoy, you'll have a greater chance for success. Use the Interactive Tool: How Many Calories Did You Burn? to find out how many calories you burn during exercise and daily activities.
Setting small, realistic goals can help you improve your fitness. Write down your goals and activities. Give yourself a healthy reward, like getting a massage, each time you reach a goal.

courtesy of : http://health.yahoo.com/fitness-overview/fitness/healthwise--ftpln.html

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