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There are so many reasons to exercise, so many benefits of exercising, that entire books could be written on the topic. The benefits are discussed on television, radio, newspaper and magazines. The list of benefits below is by no means all-inclusive and the order I have listed the benefits of exercise is not in order of importance. Certain benefits are more important to some people than to others.

Everyone exercises for different reasons. The main thing to remember is that the reasons you exercise are not right or wrong or even important. You are not judged for the reasons you exercise and no one other than yourself needs to know the reasons. The only thing that is important is the fact you are exercising or beginning to exercise. Whatever motivates you to exercise is a good reason. Look through this list and see how many of these benefits sound attractive to you. If you can find even one benefit on this list, you have enough reason to begin an exercise program and begin taking steps to take care of your health.

Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease

• Physical activity and physical fitness are causally related to the risk of coronary heart disease.
• Physically active people have an overall lower risk of fatal and nonfatal major coronary event.
• Physical inactivity is causally linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
• Exercise training along with cholesterol-lowering diet and other risk factor interventions help prevent the progression or reduce the severity of coronary atherosclerosis (the underlying basis of cardiovascular disease).
• Endurance trained men and women athletes generally have HDL-C (good cholesterol) levels 20-30% higher than healthy age matched sedentary individuals.
• Overwhelming evidence from epidemiologic studies shows that a physically active lifestyle reduced risk of sudden cardiac death.
• Among the studies on non-occupational physical activity, inactivity was associated with a 60% increased risk of coronary heart disease mortality.

Exercise and Hypertension

Intervention studies have generally reported significant reductions in blood pressure following endurance training.

Exercise and Mood

• On average, persons who are higher active are at two times lower risk for depressive symptoms.
• Adults who spend more time participating in regular exercise, sports or other physical activities had fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than persons who reported no or low levels of participation in these same activities.
• Physical activity was associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as higher positive mood and general well-being, particularly in women and persons over 40.
• Persons reporting higher levels of daily leisure-time energy expenditure had higher positive mood than persons reporting lower levels of energy expenditure.
• Persons with few depressive symptoms who were low active in 1965 were at greater risk for having a high number of depressive symptoms in 1974.
• Persons obtaining no physical exercise were three times more likely to be depressed than people who were regular exercisers.
• Low physical activity was a risk factor for developing depressive symptoms in women.

Exercise and Quality of Life

Persons whose physical function compromised by heart disease and arthritis experience improved daily function from involvement in various modes of physical activity.

Exercise and Weight Management

• Persons concerned with losing weight and body fat should increase their level of physical activity. Physical activity of moderate intensity (i.e., 50-60% of maximal aerobic capacity), but longer duration (50-60 minutes per session) seems most efficacious towards this goal.
• Physical activity affects body composition and weight favorably, by promoting fat loss, while preserving lean mass.
• The rate of weight loss is positively related to the frequency and duration of the exercise session, as well as the duration of the exercise program.
• While the rate of weight loss resulting from increased physical activity is relatively slow, physical activity may nonetheless be a more effective strategy for long term weight regulation than dieting alone.
• Physical activity may have a favorable effect on fat distribution.
• A regular high-volume, low-intensity prolonged physical activity, such as walking for 10 to 60 minutes a day on almost a daily basis, can substantially increase energy expenditure, reducing body weight and fat.
• Exercise primarily in the form of walking, along with restricted energy intake, can be expected to produce a substantially greater weight and fat loss and maintenance than either exercise or dietary energy restrictions alone.

Five Major Effects of Exercise in Reducing Weight and Fat

1. Increases total daily energy expenditure
2. Enhances body fat mobilization and maintenance of lean body mass
3. Reduces upper body and abdominal visceral fat
4. Increases rate and amount of fat metabolized
5. Reduces the mortality rate in obese persons

Exercise and Musculoskeletal Conditions

Physical activity plays a substantial role in the development of bone mass during childhood and adolescence, and maintenance of skeletal mass as a young adult. Greater bone mass strength with weight bearing activity during youth has been demonstrated in a number of animal species.

Studies indicate that women who have been able to maintain higher levels of physical activity later in life have lower prevalence of hip fractures

Exercise and Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States behind only cardiovascular disease. It accounts for 540,000 deaths in 1994.

Colon Cancer

There are adequate data to suggest that physical inactivity is likely to be causally related to increased incidence of colon cancer. To reduce risk, one should exercise at moderate intensity; e.g., walking at 4 mph for 30 minutes, five times a week.

Breast Cancer

Non-athletes had more than two-and-a-half times the risk of breast, ovarian, uterine, cervical and vaginal cancers than former college athletes. Physical inactivity was associated with a 2.4 to 8.6-fold increase in risk of developing uterine cancer. Several studies have shown that exercise can alter the levels of reproductive hormone, potentially decreasing the risks of reproductive cancers.

Prostate Cancer

Several studies have shown that exercise can alter the levels of reproductive hormone, potentially decreasing risks of prostate cancer.

Exercise and Diabetes Mellitus

• The largest and most consistent difference in risk of NIDDM (non- insulin dependent diabetes mellitus) occurs between those individuals who report relatively no activity and those who report doing something.
• Women alumni who were former college athletes had a lower prevalence of diabetes than those who were non-athletes.
• A study of male alumni from University of Pennsylvania demonstrated that physical activity was inversely related to the incidence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), particularly in men at high risk for developing diabetes.
• In a study of female registered nurses aged 34-59 years, women who reported engaging in vigorous exercise at least once a week had a lower incidence of self reported NIDDM during the eight years of follow up than women who did not exercise weekly.
• Among women 55-69 years of age, who had high levels of physical activity were half as likely to develop diabetes mellitus as were women with low levels of physical activity.
• Physical activity is likely to be the most beneficial in preventing the progression of NIDDM when used during the disease process.

These are a few overall aspects to understand about the role of exercise in the pursuit and retention of good health. Please keep them in mind and most importantly: Get Moving!

By Shawn Johnson, BDO Staff Writer