essay about importance of exercise for healthy life

Importance of Exercise Essay

500 words essay on exercise essay.

Exercise is basically any physical activity that we perform on a repetitive basis for relaxing our body and taking away all the mental stress. It is important to do regular exercise. When you do this on a daily basis, you become fit both physically and mentally. Moreover, not exercising daily can make a person susceptible to different diseases. Thus, just like eating food daily, we must also exercise daily. The importance of exercise essay will throw more light on it.

Importance of Exercise

Exercising is most essential for proper health and fitness. Moreover, it is essential for every sphere of life. Especially today’s youth need to exercise more than ever. It is because the junk food they consume every day can hamper their quality of life.

If you are not healthy, you cannot lead a happy life and won’t be able to contribute to the expansion of society. Thus, one needs to exercise to beat all these problems. But, it is not just about the youth but also about every member of the society.

These days, physical activities take places in colleges more than often. The professionals are called to the campus for organizing physical exercises. Thus, it is a great opportunity for everyone who wishes to do it.

Just like exercise is important for college kids, it is also essential for office workers. The desk job requires the person to sit at the desk for long hours without breaks. This gives rise to a very unhealthy lifestyle.

They get a limited amount of exercise as they just sit all day then come back home and sleep. Therefore, it is essential to exercise to adopt a healthy lifestyle that can also prevent any damaging diseases .

Benefits of Exercise

Exercise has a lot of benefits in today’s world. First of all, it helps in maintaining your weight. Moreover, it also helps you reduce weight if you are overweight. It is because you burn calories when you exercise.

Further, it helps in developing your muscles. Thus, the rate of your body will increases which helps to burn calories. Moreover, it also helps in improving the oxygen level and blood flow of the body.

When you exercise daily, your brain cells will release frequently. This helps in producing cells in the hippocampus. Moreover, it is the part of the brain which helps to learn and control memory.

The concentration level in your body will improve which will ultimately lower the danger of disease like Alzheimer’s. In addition, you can also reduce the strain on your heart through exercise. Finally, it controls the blood sugar levels of your body so it helps to prevent or delay diabetes.

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Conclusion of Importance of Exercise Essay

In order to live life healthily, it is essential to exercise for mental and physical development. Thus, exercise is important for the overall growth of a person. It is essential to maintain a balance between work, rest and activities. So, make sure to exercise daily.

FAQ of Importance of Exercise Essay

Question 1: What is the importance of exercise?

Answer 1: Exercise helps people lose weight and lower the risk of some diseases. When you exercise daily, you lower the risk of developing some diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and more. It also helps to keep your body at a healthy weight.

Question 2: Why is exercising important for students?

Answer 2: Exercising is important for students because it helps students to enhance their cardiorespiratory fitness and build strong bones and muscles. In addition, it also controls weight and reduces the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Further, it can also reduce the risk of health conditions like heart diseases and more.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Physical Exercise — The Importance of Exercise for a Healthy Lifestyle

The Importance of Exercise for a Healthy Lifestyle

Categories: Healthy Lifestyle Physical Exercise

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

Words: 638 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Impact on physical health, impact on mental health, barriers to exercise.

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Importance Of Exercises Essay

Importance of Exercise Essay

500+ words essay on the importance of exercise.

We all know that exercise is extremely important in our daily lives, but we may not know why or what exercise can do. It’s important to remember that we have evolved from nomadic ancestors who spent all their time moving around in search of food and shelter, travelling large distances on a daily basis. Our bodies are designed and have evolved to be regularly active. Over time, people may come across problems if they sit down all day at a desk or in front of the TV and minimise the amount of exercise they do. Exercise is a bodily movement performed in order to develop or maintain physical fitness and good health overall. Exercise leads to the physical exertion of sufficient intensity, duration and frequency to achieve or maintain vigour and health. This essay on the importance of exercise will help students become familiar with the several benefits of doing exercise regularly. They must go through this essay so as to get an idea of how to write essays on similar topics.

Need of Exercise

The human body is like a complex and delicate machine which comprises several small parts. A slight malfunction of one part leads to the breakdown of the machine. In a similar way, if such a situation arises in the human body, it also leads to malfunctioning of the body. Exercise is one of the healthy lifestyles which contributes to optimum health and quality of life. People who exercise regularly can reduce their risk of death. By doing exercise, active people increase their life expectancy by two years compared to inactive people. Regular exercise and good physical fitness enhance the quality of life in many ways. Physical fitness and exercise can help us to look good, feel good, and enjoy life. Moreover, exercise provides an enjoyable way to spend leisure time.

Exercise helps a person develop emotional balance and maintain a strong self-image. As people get older, exercise becomes more important. This is because, after the age of 30, the heart’s blood pumping capacity declines at a rate of about 8 per cent each decade. Exercise is also vital for a child’s overall development. Exercising helps to maintain a healthy weight by stoking our metabolism, utilizing and burning the extra calories.

Types of Exercise

There are three broad intensities of exercise:

1) Light exercise – Going for a walk is an example of light exercise. In this, the exerciser is able to talk while exercising.

2) Moderate exercise – Here, the exerciser feels slightly out of breath during the session. Examples could be walking briskly, cycling moderately or walking up a hill.

3) Vigorous exercise – While performing this exercise, the exerciser is panting during the activity. The exerciser feels his/her body being pushed much nearer its limit compared to the other two intensities. This could include running, cycling fast, and heavy-weight training.

Importance of Exercise

Regular exercise increases our fitness level and physical stamina. It plays a crucial role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. It can help with blood lipid abnormalities, diabetes and obesity. Moreover, it can help to reduce blood pressure. Regular exercise substantially reduces the risk of dying of coronary heart disease and eases the risk of stroke and colon cancer. People of all age groups benefit from exercising.

Exercise can be effective in improving the mental well-being of human beings. It relieves human stress and anxiety. When we come back from work or school, we feel exhausted after a whole day of work. If we can go out to have a walk or jog for at least 30 minutes, it makes us feel happy and relaxed. A number of studies have found that a lifestyle that includes exercise helps alleviate depression. Those who can maintain regular exercise will also reduce their chances of seeing a doctor. Without physical activity, the body’s muscles lose their strength, endurance and ability to function properly. Regular exercise keeps all parts of the body in continuous activity. It improves overall health and fitness, as well as decreases the risk of many chronic diseases. Therefore, physical exercise is very important in our life.

Exercise can play a significant role in keeping the individual, society, community and nation wealthy. If the citizens of a country are healthy, the country is sure to touch heights in every facet of life. The country’s healthy generation can achieve the highest marks in various fields and thereby enable their country to win laurels and glory at the international level. The first step is always the hardest. However, if we can overcome it, and exercise for 21 days continuously, it will be a new beginning for a healthy life.

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Frequently Asked Questions on the Importance of Exercises Essay

What are the benefits of exercising regularly.

Regular exercise helps in the relaxation of the mind and body and keeps the body fit. It improves flexibility and blood circulation.

Which are some of the easy exercises that can be done at home?

Sit-ups, bicycle crunches, squats, lunges and planks are examples of easy exercises which can be done at home without the help of costly equipment.

Is cycling an effective form of exercise?

Cycling is a low-impact exercise and acts as a good muscle workout.

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Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity.

You know exercise is good for you, but do you know how good? From boosting your mood to improving your sex life, find out how exercise can improve your life.

Want to feel better, have more energy and even add years to your life? Just exercise.

The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. Everyone benefits from exercise, no matter their age, sex or physical ability.

Need more convincing to get moving? Check out these seven ways that exercise can lead to a happier, healthier you.

1. Exercise controls weight

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help you keep off lost weight. When you take part in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn.

Regular trips to the gym are great, but don't worry if you can't find a large chunk of time to exercise every day. Any amount of activity is better than none. To gain the benefits of exercise, just get more active throughout your day. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator or rev up your household chores. Consistency is key.

2. Exercise combats health conditions and diseases

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight is, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol, and it decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which lowers your risk of heart and blood vessel, called cardiovascular, diseases.

Regular exercise helps prevent or manage many health problems and concerns, including:

Metabolic syndrome.
High blood pressure.
Type 2 diabetes.
Depression.
Many types of cancer.

It also can help improve cognitive function and helps lower the risk of death from all causes.

3. Exercise improves mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to lower stress after a stressful day? A gym session or brisk walk can help. Physical activity stimulates many brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious.

You also may feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

4. Exercise boosts energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance.

Exercise sends oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep

Struggling to snooze? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get better sleep and deepen your sleep. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to go to sleep.

6. Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can improve energy levels and give you more confidence about your physical appearance, which may boost your sex life.

But there's even more to it than that. Regular physical activity may enhance arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise.

7. Exercise can be fun — and social!

Exercise and physical activity can be fun. They give you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply do activities that make you happy. Physical activity also can help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting.

So take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. Bored? Try something new, or do something with friends or family.

Exercise to feel better and have fun

Exercise and physical activity are great ways to feel better, boost your health and have fun. For most healthy adults, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity. Or get at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. You also can get an equal combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Aim to spread out this exercise over a few days or more in a week.

For even more health benefits, the guidelines suggest getting 300 minutes a week or more of moderate aerobic activity. Exercising this much may help with weight loss or keeping off lost weight. But even small amounts of physical activity can be helpful. Being active for short periods of time during the day can add up and have health benefits.

Strength training. Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. One set of each exercise is enough for health and fitness benefits. Use a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.

Moderate aerobic exercise includes activities such as brisk walking, biking, swimming and mowing the lawn.

Vigorous aerobic exercise includes activities such as running, swimming laps, heavy yardwork and aerobic dancing.

You can do strength training by using weight machines or free weights, your own body weight, heavy bags, or resistance bands. You also can use resistance paddles in the water or do activities such as rock climbing.

If you want to lose weight, keep off lost weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more.

Remember to check with a health care professional before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any concerns about your fitness or haven't exercised for a long time. Also check with a health care professional if you have chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis.

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AskMayoExpert. Physical activity (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2021.
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/our-work/physical-activity/current-guidelines. Accessed June 25, 2021.
Peterson DM. The benefits and risk of aerobic exercise. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed June 24, 2021.
Maseroli E, et al. Physical activity and female sexual dysfunction: A lot helps, but not too much. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2021; doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.04.004.
Allen MS. Physical activity as an adjunct treatment for erectile dysfunction. Nature Reviews: Urology. 2019; doi:10.1038/s41585-019-0210-6.
Tips for starting physical activity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/tips-get-active/tips-starting-physical-activity. Accessed June 25, 2021.
Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. June 16, 2021.

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Essay about Exercise – Benefits

Is exercise beneficial? How is it good for you? And what is exercise? Essays like the one below will help you discover the answers to these questions.

Introduction

Benefits of Exercise

Works Cited

Do you want to live a good life feeling great with improved mental psyche and energy levels void of some chronic diseases coupled with sound sleep all in one package? Look no further; regular exercising will offer this all-inclusive package of benefits. Many people just know very little about goodness of exercise; regrettably, they do not know how good it can get over time.

The good news is that, exercise delivers results regardless of sex, occupation, physical ability, or age. Exercise results are yours for taking; once you put the input, the output is almost certain.

Unfortunately, people will always find excuses for not exercising and even some will quote myths associated with exercise for them to stay out. Many exercise activities are not strenuous and require very little efforts; for instance, dancing for fun. The truth is; exercise is good because it will help you have good moods, manage chronic diseases, and manage weight giving you good shape.

Goodness of Exercise

Exercise helps in improving one’s mood and mind status. Mood is a state of mind. Physical activity triggers the body to release chemicals known as endorphins. These chemicals enable one to be happy and peaceful. The contemporary society is set in a way that people can work without involving a lot of physical exercise.

Moreover, many people are being forced by circumstances to take jobs that they do not like. Chances that such people will slump into stress, depression, low self-esteem, and insomnia are high.

However, exercising improves all these by improving one’s mood. For instance, during exercise, individuals set goals and by beating the timeline to accomplish these set goals, make one feel good and this improves his or her self-confidence and self-esteem. It is logical that a confident and self-esteemed person will have good moods. Human body is made up of active cells and they need to be kept active; exercise offers these.

As Mayo Clinic Staff posit, “As you exercise, your body gets fitter and stronger, and thus, your mind starts seeing everything, including yourself in a better light” (Para 4). Have you ever heard of people claiming the only thing they do when stressed up is exercise? These few individuals have discovered the secret to let go of in-built pressure. Brain is made up of muscles and exercise is good for brain muscles just as food is good for the body.

Good news to those battling with chronic diseases as hypertension, diabetes and osteoporosis among others; exercise is the way out. Research indicates that regular exercise combats these diseases. According to Hawk, “exercise is the silver bullet for improved health” (Para. 1). In combating heart diseases, exercise strengthens heart muscles, increases High Density Lipoproteins (HDLs), and reduces Low Density Lipoproteins (LDLs). These lipoproteins are cholesterol derivatives and scientists term HDL as ‘good’ cholesterol and LDL as ‘bad’ cholesterol.

Reduction of LDL with subsequent increase of HDL promotes smooth blood flow and replenishes heart functions. In Type II diabetes, the body is insensitive to insulin probably due to weight gain amongst other causes. Exercise helps in shedding weight and this makes the body insulin sensitive. Consequently, this insulin breaks down sugar molecules in the body thus lowering blood sugar levels eventually combating diabetes type II.

Nowadays, poor feeding habits and little or no exercise makes people as young as fifteen to suffer from osteoporosis. However, exercise offers reprieve to this nightmare by strengthening bone tissue formation and maintenance. Finally, research indicates that exercise improves immune system response and this helps to keep minor infections at bay.

Finally, exercise helps in keeping body shape. No one likes obesity or out of shape body. Unfortunately, many people love talking how they hate their over weight bodies without doing anything about it; lip service. Exercise is the way to attaining that elusive figure you have always craved for, over the years.

It is natural that, during physical exercise, the body burns thousands of calories. Body weight results from excess energy, which is converted to fat and stored in different body parts. As one exercises, metabolism rate increases leading to breakdown of fats making your body slimmer and healthy.

Research indicates that, “To lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500 calories over and above what you already burn doing daily activities” (Buemann & Tremblay 193). These researchers make it clear that normal daily activities are not sufficient to burn the required calories in the body; therefore, exercise is the way out. Fortunately, you do not need to check into a gym to manage weight loss; far from it, 20 to 30 minute walk every day or cycling for fun is enough to keep weight gain under control.

Unfortunately, many people complain that exercise is not good because it is not fun. This is true and it does not apply to exercise alone; it applies to anything that someone does. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, it can never be fun. However, the claims that exercise is not fun are only excuses; not reasons. The fact is, there are many exercise programs, and out of them, every one can find a program that excites him or her. Exercise can be done in a group or individually.

Moreover, most of practices that people do for fun qualify as exercises. For instance, taking a stroll in the neighborhood in the evening is enough to relax one’s mind. Teenagers are fond of cycling for fun; however, even though they do not know it, cycling is a great lot of exercise.

So, what is the way out of these excuses? Identify an exercise that excites you; an exercise that you will do without much hustle. For instance, decide to engage in flexibility training exercises like yoga and sit-ups or even join a dancing group. By doing something that excites you, fun will be inevitable. However, remember to do whatever you are doing on purpose with discipline. Discipline is the key to any successful story you will ever hear.

Exercise is all-inclusive package that will enable you live almost a stress-free life, full of energy with improved self esteem and sound sleep not forgetting how you will be able to combat some diseases like hypertension and diabetes type II. During exercise, the body releases endorphins that restore peace and felicity.

Moreover, nothing equals the thrill that one gets by accomplishing set goals and exercise offers this opportunity to set both short and long-term goals and accomplish them. Again, exercise prompts the body to produce more ‘good’ cholesterol and eliminate the ‘bad’ one thus improving blood flow thus keeping hypertension at bay.

Any good doctor will tell you exercise is as essential as sleep or feeding. Finally, exercise enables you to maintain body shape by shedding those extra pounds. Unfortunately, many people complain that exercise is not fun; however, this is just an excuse, not a reason. There are many exercise programs to choose from, every one can get a program that excites him or her, and as the excitement sets in, fun follows. Anyway, who does not want to live a peaceful and happy life? Not even you, start exercising and start today.

Buemann, Baines & Tremblay, Albert. “Effects of Exercise Training On Abdominal Obesity and Related Metabolic Complications”. Sports Medicine. 2007, 21(1): 191-212.

Hawk, Patricia. “Here’s why Exercise is good for You.” 2009.

Mayo Clinic Staff. “ Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity. ” 2010. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2018, May 10). Essay about Exercise - Benefits. https://ivypanda.com/essays/exercise-is-good/

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Physical Activity Is Good for the Mind and the Body

essay about importance of exercise for healthy life

Health and Well-Being Matter is the monthly blog of the Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Everyone has their own way to “recharge” their sense of well-being — something that makes them feel good physically, emotionally, and spiritually even if they aren’t consciously aware of it. Personally, I know that few things can improve my day as quickly as a walk around the block or even just getting up from my desk and doing some push-ups. A hike through the woods is ideal when I can make it happen. But that’s me. It’s not simply that I enjoy these activities but also that they literally make me feel better and clear my mind.

Mental health and physical health are closely connected. No kidding — what’s good for the body is often good for the mind. Knowing what you can do physically that has this effect for you will change your day and your life.

Physical activity has many well-established mental health benefits. These are published in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and include improved brain health and cognitive function (the ability to think, if you will), a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, and improved sleep and overall quality of life. Although not a cure-all, increasing physical activity directly contributes to improved mental health and better overall health and well-being.

Learning how to routinely manage stress and getting screened for depression are simply good prevention practices. Awareness is especially critical at this time of year when disruptions to healthy habits and choices can be more likely and more jarring. Shorter days and colder temperatures have a way of interrupting routines — as do the holidays, with both their joys and their stresses. When the plentiful sunshine and clear skies of temperate months give way to unpredictable weather, less daylight, and festive gatherings, it may happen unconsciously or seem natural to be distracted from being as physically active. However, that tendency is precisely why it’s so important that we are ever more mindful of our physical and emotional health — and how we can maintain both — during this time of year.

Roughly half of all people in the United States will be diagnosed with a mental health disorder at some point in their lifetime, with anxiety and anxiety disorders being the most common. Major depression, another of the most common mental health disorders, is also a leading cause of disability for middle-aged adults. Compounding all of this, mental health disorders like depression and anxiety can affect people’s ability to take part in health-promoting behaviors, including physical activity. In addition, physical health problems can contribute to mental health problems and make it harder for people to get treatment for mental health disorders.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need to take care of our physical and emotional health to light even more so these past 2 years. Recently, the U.S. Surgeon General highlighted how the pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis in youth .

The good news is that even small amounts of physical activity can immediately reduce symptoms of anxiety in adults and older adults. Depression has also shown to be responsive to physical activity. Research suggests that increased physical activity, of any kind, can improve depression symptoms experienced by people across the lifespan. Engaging in regular physical activity has also been shown to reduce the risk of developing depression in children and adults.

Though the seasons and our life circumstances may change, our basic needs do not. Just as we shift from shorts to coats or fresh summer fruits and vegetables to heartier fall food choices, so too must we shift our seasonal approach to how we stay physically active. Some of that is simply adapting to conditions: bundling up for a walk, wearing the appropriate shoes, or playing in the snow with the kids instead of playing soccer in the grass.

Sometimes there’s a bit more creativity involved. Often this means finding ways to simplify activity or make it more accessible. For example, it may not be possible to get to the gym or even take a walk due to weather or any number of reasons. In those instances, other options include adding new types of movement — such as impromptu dance parties at home — or doing a few household chores (yes, it all counts as physical activity).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I built a makeshift gym in my garage as an alternative to driving back and forth to the gym several miles from home. That has not only saved me time and money but also afforded me the opportunity to get 15 to 45 minutes of muscle-strengthening physical activity in at odd times of the day.

For more ideas on how to get active — on any day — or for help finding the motivation to get started, check out this Move Your Way® video .

The point to remember is that no matter the approach, the Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (anything that gets your heart beating faster) each week and at least 2 days per week of muscle-strengthening activity (anything that makes your muscles work harder than usual). Youth need 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day. Preschool-aged children ages 3 to 5 years need to be active throughout the day — with adult caregivers encouraging active play — to enhance growth and development. Striving toward these goals and then continuing to get physical activity, in some shape or form, contributes to better health outcomes both immediately and over the long term.

For youth, sports offer additional avenues to more physical activity and improved mental health. Youth who participate in sports may enjoy psychosocial health benefits beyond the benefits they gain from other forms of leisure-time physical activity. Psychological health benefits include higher levels of perceived competence, confidence, and self-esteem — not to mention the benefits of team building, leadership, and resilience, which are important skills to apply on the field and throughout life. Research has also shown that youth sports participants have a reduced risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Additionally, team sports participation during adolescence may lead to better mental health outcomes in adulthood (e.g., less anxiety and depression) for people exposed to adverse childhood experiences. In addition to the physical and mental health benefits, sports can be just plain fun.

Physical activity’s implications for significant positive effects on mental health and social well-being are enormous, impacting every facet of life. In fact, because of this national imperative, the presidential executive order that re-established the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition explicitly seeks to “expand national awareness of the importance of mental health as it pertains to physical fitness and nutrition.” While physical activity is not a substitute for mental health treatment when needed and it’s not the answer to certain mental health challenges, it does play a significant role in our emotional and cognitive well-being.

No matter how we choose to be active during the holiday season — or any season — every effort to move counts toward achieving recommended physical activity goals and will have positive impacts on both the mind and the body. Along with preventing diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and the additional risks associated with these comorbidities, physical activity’s positive effect on mental health is yet another important reason to be active and Move Your Way .

As for me… I think it’s time for a walk. Happy and healthy holidays, everyone!

Yours in health, Paul

Paul Reed, MD Rear Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Director, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.

Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by ODPHP or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.

You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.

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Importance Of Exercise Essay - 100, 200, 500 Words

Essay on Importance of Exercise -

It is our responsibility to take care of our bodies and stay fit in order to live a long life. People believe that eating healthy foods is sufficient for the body, ignoring the benefits of exercise. Doctors always advise their patients to make time in their lives to exercise and improve their health. Here are a few sample essays on Importance Of Exercise.

100 Words Essay on Importance of Exercise

200 words essay on importance of exercise, 500 words essay on importance of exercise.

Importance Of Exercise Essay - 100, 200, 500 Words

Keeping our bodies fit enough to live a healthy and wealthy life is one of the most crucial components of existence. Getting up early, eating a nutritious meal, and keeping track of nutrients are all important. Our bodies require exercise as well as nutrients to develop our bones and muscles, boost our mental health, and lose weight. People can avoid orthopedic disorders in their old age by strengthening their bones. Obesity can be avoided by losing weight. People who resist being indolent and prefer to engage in physical activity are more likely to live a pleasant existence. At the end of the day, it is up to the people to change their way of life.

Exercising is one of the most vital processes that everyone should incorporate into their lives. Some people disregard the benefits of physical exercises and how they might help them live a peaceful life. Your body is your responsibility, and the least you can do is stay fit for as long as possible. Exercising not only maintains your body fit, but it also prevents ailments caused by a lack of physical activity. Half of all illnesses can be avoided by engaging in modest exercise on a daily basis . Consider the issue of obesity—obesity is caused mostly by excessive calorie intake and insufficient physical activity. Squats, planks, running, and other exercises can help in the reduction of body weight.

In terms of mental health, exercise has been shown to be a mood booster and aid in the treatment of depression and other mental health issues. This also aids in better sleep at night. Excessive calorie consumption can result in heart disease . Exercise is vital for persons who have long-term cardiac and diabetes problems since it helps them avoid future sickness. Some individuals believe that exercise is only done in a gym and is physically exhausting. However, there are a variety of workouts that can be done from the convenience of your own home.

Physical activity is regarded as one of the most vital components of life , yet many individuals tend to disregard it. Hearing the term "physical activity" drains some people, and they avoid doing it. But many don't realise how beneficial exercise is on its own. It not only helps to keep fit, but it also helps to prevent numerous long-term disorders. It is always preferable for a person to alter their lifestyle in order to do something beneficial to themselves. People must realise how good exercise is, and once they do, they will embark on a healthy lifestyle journey. The following are some of the advantages of exercising that individuals should be aware of—

Reduces Weight

Exercise aids in weight loss and keeping a particular amount of BMI for a healthy lifestyle . A change in diet can only help with calorie reduction; to burn fat, people must step up and conduct regular exercises every day. This activity can also help to lower bad cholesterol in the body and prevent future cardiovascular disease. Excessive physical activity depletes obese persons. They can, however, burn calories without going to the gym every day. Normal daily actions such as walking the stairs frequently, keeping oneself busy, and avoiding binge eating are also ways to lose weight.

Prevents Illness

To avoid pain, the bones and muscles in the body require exercise. Orthopedic experts advise patients to exercise on a daily basis to keep their bones healthy. People who follow a regular fitness plan will never tire quickly.

Some diseases or illnesses, such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and high blood pressure, can also be avoided with physical activity . While exercising, the brain releases hormones that make individuals joyful, which leads to a reduction in depression. Exercise has always been shown to be good in many aspects, and experts have supported this notion.

Elevates Mood

Exercise is the most effective mood booster. If you are going through a difficult time or need a solution to relieve stress, exercise is the only option. Most people have low self-esteem when it comes to their appearance. This can result in social anxiety and an eating disorder. Regular physical activity alleviates this anxiety . One can gain confidence in themselves and boost their self-esteem. People might also improve their mood by taking a short evening walk to relieve their minds of tension.

Exercise can help improve energy by supplying oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and assisting the circulatory system to function properly. People will have more energy to complete all of their chores this way. People sometimes find it difficult to socialise with others . They see no reason to leave their comfort zone and participate in any enjoyable activity. In this situation, exercise can serve as an excuse for people to socialise. Going to the gym and meeting new people can make your time and day more memorable. Dancing, climbing, backpacking, and athletics are all examples of physical activities that are simple to perform .

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Essay on Importance of Exercise 500+ Words

Exercise is like a magic potion for our bodies and minds, making us stronger, healthier, and happier. In this essay, we will explore the importance of exercise, its incredible benefits, and why it’s crucial for our well-being.

Physical Health Benefits

Exercise is a powerhouse for our physical health. It keeps our bodies strong and fit, helping to prevent various health problems. According to experts, regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It also strengthens our bones and muscles, making us more resilient.

Mental Health Benefits

Exercise doesn’t just benefit our bodies; it’s a mood booster for our minds too. Experts agree that physical activity releases endorphins, which are like natural happiness hormones. This can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, leading to better mental well-being.

Improved Brain Function

Exercise isn’t just a workout for our muscles; it’s also a workout for our brains. It enhances cognitive function, sharpens our memory, and increases our ability to focus. Studies show that students who exercise regularly often perform better in school.

Weight Management

Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for overall well-being. Exercise helps us burn calories and build muscle, making it a vital tool in managing our weight. It also boosts our metabolism, which means we continue to burn calories even when we’re not exercising.

Enhanced Sleep Quality

Exercise plays a role in improving the quality of our sleep. It helps us fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper, more restful sleep. A good night’s sleep is crucial for our physical and mental recovery.

Boosting Energy Levels

It might sound counterintuitive, but exercise can actually boost our energy levels. Regular physical activity helps improve our endurance and stamina, making daily tasks feel easier. It also increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to our cells, giving us more vitality.

Social Connections

Exercise can be a social activity that brings people together. Joining sports teams, fitness classes, or group activities provides an opportunity to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships. Social connections are important for our emotional well-being.

Lifelong Habits

Developing exercise habits at a young age sets the stage for a healthier future. Experts believe that when we start exercising early in life, we are more likely to continue these habits as adults. This can lead to a longer, healthier life.

Conclusion of Essay on Importance of Exercise

In conclusion, exercise is not just a choice; it’s a necessity for a healthy and fulfilling life. It offers a wide range of benefits, including improved physical health, better mental well-being, enhanced brain function, weight management, quality sleep, increased energy, and social connections. As we exercise regularly, we not only improve our present but also invest in a healthier future. Let us remember that the importance of exercise extends beyond physical appearance; it’s about nurturing our bodies and minds, creating a brighter and more vibrant life for ourselves. So, let’s lace up our sneakers, hit the playground, go for a bike ride, or dance to our favorite tunes—whatever it takes to keep our bodies moving and our spirits soaring. Exercise is the key to a happier, healthier, and more active life!

Also Check: Simple Guide on How To Write An Essay

Essay on Importance of Physical Exercise

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Physical Exercise in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Physical Exercise

Introduction.

Physical exercise is crucial for maintaining our health and wellbeing. It helps us stay fit, active, and energetic, improving our quality of life.

Health Benefits

Exercise strengthens our heart, lungs, and muscles. It also boosts our immune system, helping us fight off illnesses.

Mental Benefits

Physical activity reduces stress and anxiety, promoting mental health. It can also improve our mood and self-esteem.

In conclusion, physical exercise is vital for our health. So, let’s make it a part of our daily routine to lead a healthy and happy life.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Physical Exercise

The imperative of physical exercise.

Physical exercise, often overlooked in the hustle of modern life, is a critical component of overall health and well-being. It serves as a cornerstone for not only physical fitness but also mental and emotional health.

Physical Benefits

Physical exercise strengthens the body, enhances endurance, and boosts immunity. Regular workouts help maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of obesity-related diseases like diabetes and heart conditions. Exercise also improves bone density and muscle strength, fostering longevity and independence.

Mental and Emotional Advantages

Beyond the physical, exercise plays a pivotal role in mental health. It stimulates the production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevators, helping to combat stress, anxiety, and depression. Moreover, regular physical activity can enhance cognitive function, potentially delaying the onset of neurodegenerative disorders.

Exercise and Academic Performance

For college students, physical exercise can directly impact academic performance. Studies suggest a correlation between regular physical activity and improved concentration, memory, and creativity – all vital for academic success.

In conclusion, the importance of physical exercise extends beyond the realm of physical fitness. It plays an integral role in mental health, emotional well-being, and academic success. As college students navigate the pressures of academia and the transition into adulthood, incorporating regular exercise into their routines can serve as a powerful tool for maintaining holistic health.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Physical Exercise

Physical exercise, an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle, is often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of modern life. However, its importance cannot be overstated, especially in the context of a rapidly evolving society that is increasingly sedentary.

The Physical Benefits of Exercise

The most immediate benefit of physical exercise is its impact on physical health. Regular exercise aids in maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the risk of developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. It strengthens the cardiovascular system, improving heart and lung function, and enhances muscle strength and endurance.

Exercise also promotes bone health, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures in later life. Furthermore, it aids in maintaining flexibility and coordination, which can prevent injuries and enhance overall physical performance.

Exercise and Mental Health

The benefits of physical exercise extend beyond the physical realm and into the sphere of mental health. Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevators, which can help to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Moreover, physical activity promotes better sleep, a crucial factor in cognitive function and mood regulation. It also enhances self-esteem and body image, contributing to overall mental well-being.

For college students, the benefits of physical exercise are particularly pertinent. Studies have demonstrated a correlation between regular physical activity and improved academic performance. Exercise has been found to enhance cognitive function, including memory, attention, and creativity, all of which are crucial for academic success.

Moreover, regular exercise can help to manage stress, a common challenge faced by many college students. By providing a constructive outlet for stress, exercise can promote better mental health and contribute to a more balanced, productive academic experience.

In conclusion, the importance of physical exercise is multifaceted, encompassing physical health, mental well-being, and academic performance. As such, it is crucial that we incorporate regular physical activity into our daily routines, regardless of our age or fitness level.

The benefits of exercise are not restricted to the domain of athletes or fitness enthusiasts but are accessible to all who choose to engage in this vital practice. As college students, and future leaders, it is incumbent upon us to prioritize our health and well-being, and physical exercise is a key component of this endeavor.

In the face of an increasingly sedentary society, we must recognize and promote the importance of physical exercise, not only for our personal health but for the health of our society as a whole.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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The Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity

Gastroenterology, Critical Care, and Lifestyle Medicine (SA McClave, Section Editor)
Published: 14 July 2016
Volume 5 , pages 204–212, ( 2016 )

Cite this article

Keith R. Miller 1 ,
Stephen A. McClave 2 ,
Melina B. Jampolis 3 ,
Ryan T. Hurt 4 ,
Kristine Krueger 2 ,
Sarah Landes 2 &
Bryan Collier 5

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Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor (similar to dyslipidemia and hypertension) for a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Exercise provides a clear health benefit, which serves in the primary and secondary prevention of these disease processes (the most important being a reduction in cardiovascular disease and premature death). The physiologic mechanisms for such a benefit occur at both a cellular and multisystem level. Prolonged periods of occupational or leisure-time sitting have adverse health effects independent of exercise performed before or after. Almost any form of physical activity (PA) is beneficial, whether part of a regular exercise program or as a series of intermittent, incidental, non-purposeful, lifestyle-embedded activity (causing non-exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT). The health benefits of exercise appear to be dose-dependent. Physicians should recommend near daily exercise which includes at various times strength training, stretching, and aerobic activity in addition to emphasizing adjustments that allow for reduced sitting and increased activity during daily routines. Patients should understand that for optimal health, exercise is no longer optional.

Physical Activity Strategies

Physical Activity, Fitness, and Coronary Heart Disease

Physical Inactivity and the Economic and Health Burdens Due to Cardiovascular Disease: Exercise as Medicine

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and osteoporosis. Physical exercise reduces the risk of premature death and prolongs longevity, and is an important treatment modality in the primary and secondary prevention of the above disorders [ 1 ]. For most states in this country, less than half of the population meets CDC exercise recommendations [ 2 •]. The decline in physical activity (PA) occurs both at work and in leisure time, and may have at least partially contributed to the increase in obesity over the past 30 years. Low recreational physical activities have been associated with a threefold increase for major weight gain in men and a fourfold increase in women [ 3 ]. Surveys of PA across the lifecycle show that physical exercise peaks in the middle high-school age range and begins declining through high school and into adult life. A vicious cycle of decline occurs between inactivity and loss of skeletal muscle mass which accelerates with age. With avoidance of activity requiring effort, there is increased loss of exercise capacity. This loss causes the perception of effort associated with even sub-maximal work to worsen, as the anaerobic threshold decreases. The vicious cycle contributes to further inactivity and deterioration of physical function. The only treatment that can break the cycle is exercise.

Impact of Exercise on Aging

Exercise provides powerful health benefits for quality of life, physical function, and independent living throughout the life cycle. Exercise impedes the aging process and promotes longevity. Observational studies have shown that even in the presence of disease processes such as hypertension (HTN), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, smoking, high body mass index (BMI), and hypercholesterolemia, increasing PA has a dose-dependent effect in decreasing relative risk of death [ 4 ]. In a study of subjects over a 13-year time period, both baseline fitness, and improvement in physical fitness through exercise and PA was associated with significant increases in longevity [ 4 ]. Functional independence with advanced age relates to the overall level of physical fitness. Physical fitness is most affected by the status of the cardiorespiratory and vascular systems, as well as muscle function [ 5 •].

Garatachea et al. provide an excellent review of the effect of exercise on the physiologic changes associated with aging [ 5 •]. Exercise exerts its positive influence on both a cellular level and at the level of organ systems. At the cellular level, exercise helps reduce genomic instability, epigenetic alteration, loss of proteostasis, dysregulated nutrient sensing, cellular senescence, and altered intracellular communication that leads to inflammation. These effects alter the way the body performs transcellular signaling in the skeletal muscle, the turning on and off of genes through epigenetics, and the manner in which the system manages reactive oxygen species [ 5 •]. On a multisystem level, the benefits of exercise include improvement in brain, cardiovascular, lung, and muscle function, favorable alterations in body composition, and advantageous changes in metabolic responses. The report concludes by suggesting that in the future, pharmaceuticals should be designed which mimic the effects of exercise on the aging process [ 5 •].

Effect of Exercise on Treatment of Disease

Robert Butler from the National Institute on Aging has said that “If exercise could be put in a bottle, it would be the strongest medicine money could buy” [ 6 ]. Exercise helps prevent common chronic diseases (primary prevention), and often plays an important role in the treatment of these disease processes (secondary prevention). Specific benefits from exercise have been seen with cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, depression, cancer, obesity, and osteoporosis [ 7 , 8 ]

Cardiovascular Disease

Increased levels of PA and physical fitness have a graded effect in reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. The relative risk from all cause and cardiovascular disease mortality is reduced 20–35 % by exercise and PA [ 9 ]. In an observational study, subjects in the lowest quintile of exercise had a relative risk of 3.4 in men and 4.7 in women for death compared to those in the highest quintile [ 10 ]. An increase in activity-related energy expenditure by as little as 1000 kcal or 1 metabolic equivalent (MET)-hour of exercise per week has a mortality benefit of 20 % [ 11 ]. Physically inactive women have a 52 % increase in death, a cardiovascular disease-related death that is doubled, and a cancer-related death rate that is increased by 29 % [ 11 ]. These risks on mortality from inactivity are similar to other modifiable risk factors such as HTN, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity. In randomized controlled trials (RCT)s, exercise and PA are valuable for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Whereas in the past, traditional recommendations for patients with a heart attack included rest and physical inactivity. Newer information demonstrates that exercise actually attenuates or reverses risk of cardiovascular disease [ 12 ]. The benefit of exercise is seen in cardiac rehabilitation, where increasing PA reduces the risk of premature death following a myocardial infarction [ 12 ]. Added energy expenditure of 1600 kcal/week from exercise may halt the progression of heart disease and energy expenditure of >2200 kcal/week can lead to plaque reduction [ 13 ]. The minimum training recommendation for patients following myocardial infarction is to reach 45 % of their heart rate reserve through cardiac rehabilitation [ 12 , 13 ].

Multiple mechanisms have been identified whereby exercise reduces the risk of premature death [ 4 ]. Exercise affects body composition by decreasing abdominal adiposity and improving weight control. Exercise enhances lipid profiles by reducing serum triglyceride levels, raising HDL, and reducing the LDL/HDL ratio. In addition, a recent meta-analysis showed beneficial changes in lipoprotein subclasses associated with regular exercise including a reduction in small LDL-p and an increase in large LDL-p [ 14 ]. Exercise enhances hemodynamics by decreasing blood pressure, increasing cardiac function, and improving coronary blood flow. Autonomic tone is enhanced and shear stress-mediated endothelial function is improved. Exercise reduces systemic inflammation, as evidenced by reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Improved psychological well-being in response to exercise is associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression [ 4 ].

PA is inversely correlated with risk of incident stroke as shown in a large nurses’ health study [ 15 ]. Habitual exercise reduces risk of stroke by 40–50 % at the highest level of PA. Change in PA is protective against stroke as evidenced by the fact that an increase of 3.5 h of exercise or PA per week is associated with a 29 % reduction in ischemic stroke [ 15 ].

Diabetes Mellitus

Exercise is valuable in both the primary and secondary prevention of diabetes mellitus. Aerobic and resistant-type exercise reduces the likelihood of developing type-2 diabetes mellitus. For each 500 kcal of energy expended per week, there is an associated 6 % reduction in the likelihood of type-2 diabetes (which may be even greater with increasing BMI) [ 16 ]. In patients already diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus, walking 2 h per week is associated with a 39–54 % reduction in all-cause mortality from diabetes mellitus, and a 34–53 % reduction in mortality related to cardiovascular disease [ 17 ]. The benefit of exercise on glycemic control appears to be greater with resistance training than aerobic exercise. A meta-analysis of exercise and PA in diabetes showed that exercise reduces hemoglobin A1C by 0.66 %, an effect similar to intensive glucose-lowering pharmacologic therapy [ 18 ]. The mechanisms by which exercise benefits diabetes relate to the fact that exercise increases glycogen synthetase and hexokinase activity [ 4 ]. Exercise reduces GLUT-4 protein and messenger RNA expression and increases muscle capillary density, which helps improve glucose delivery to the muscle [ 4 ].

Increasing PA, either occupational or at leisure, has been shown to exert a primary preventative effect on two cancers—breast and colon cancer [ 19 ]. Moderate exercise of as little as 4–5 METs (equivalent to mowing the lawn or brisk walking), is required to achieve this effect [ 20 ]. Exercise is associated with a 20–30 % reduction in the incidence of breast cancer in women, and a 30–40 % reduction in the incidence of colon cancer in both men and women [ 20 ]. In those patients already diagnosed to have one of these cancers, exercise reduces the likelihood for cancer recurrence and reduces risk from cancer death by as much as 26–40 % [ 21 ]. PA improves quality of life and overall health status in cancer patients. The mechanisms by which exercise improves risk from cancer may relate to reduced fat stores, an increase in energy expenditure offsetting a high-fat diet, activity-related changes in sex hormone levels, improvement in immune function, and reduced generation of free oxygen radicals [ 4 ].

Osteoporosis

Exercise has a valuable effect in the primary prevention of osteoporosis. Routine PA minimizes age-related bone loss. Weight-bearing exercise (especially resistance exercise) increases bone density compared to low impact non-weight-bearing exercise. Exercise prevents 1 % of bone loss per year, an effect which is greater in post-menopausal than pre-menopausal women [ 22 ]. In RCTs, exercise reduces the risk and number of falls, as well as the risk of fracture [ 22 ]. Even in men, PA reduces the risk of fracture by 62 % over the age of 21 years [ 23 ]. Exercise is also valuable in the secondary prevention of osteoporosis. RCTs in the past have shown that exercise with resistance training increases bone density in older osteoporotic women by as much as 1.4 %, while agility training alone increases bone density by 0.5 % [ 24 ]. Stretching, which was used as sham control, was shown to have no effect on the expected decrease in bone density with age [ 24 ]. In a 12-year follow up of over 60,000 post-menopausal women, risk of hip fracture was lowered 6 % for each increase of three MET-hours per week of activity (the equivalent of walking three miles in 1 h) [ 25 ]. Active women with at least 24 met-hours of exercise per week had a 55 % lower risk of hip fracture than sedentary women with no other exercise. Walking at least 4 h per week was associated with a 41 % lower risk of hip fracture than walking less than one hour per week [ 25 ].

Exercise has a valuable therapeutic effect on the treatment on multiple types of depression, including dysthymic, seasonal, bipolar, post-natal, pre-menstrual, atypical, and major depression [ 26 ]. The value in treating depression comes from an innate anti-depressive effect from exercise. Combining exercise with psychotropic medications achieves better treatment results than the same medications alone [ 26 ]. Exercise is relatively inexpensive, safe, and has minimal side effects when done correctly. Exercise may help reduce the dose of anti-depressive medications required. Subjects are less likely to relapse with an active exercise program [ 26 ].

The patients with depression who are most likely to benefit from exercise include those with age <20 or >40 years, higher education, higher baseline physical status, females, untrained subjects, and those with mild to moderate depression [ 26 ]. There are a number of aspects of exercise that get the optimal results in treating depression including programs that are structured, individually tailored to the patient, low to moderate intensity, when it is used as an adjunct to medication therapy, and exercise that is a combination of aerobic or resistive training performed 3–4 times per week [ 26 ]. The mechanism of effect from exercise on depression occurs on a systemic level as well as a direct effect on central nervous system (CNS) function. Exercise appears to increase serotonin, ACTH, endorphins, and endocannabinoids within the CNS. On a systemic level, exercise increases norepinephrine and reduces cortisol, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukin-6 [ 26 ].

In a controversial article that appeared in Time magazine in 2009, the journalist John Cloud wrote about “The Myth of Exercise” and its effect on treating obesity [ 27 ]. The article suggested that exercise was not good for weight management in obesity. The author pointed out that exercise leads to increased appetite and intake of food and causes a decrease in non-exercise energy expenditure, and therefore that exercise was a poor strategy for weight loss [ 27 ]. A number of letters to the editor of Time magazine followed the publication of this article, including letters from the American Society for Sports Medicine, arguing that facts were misrepresented and that the article gave the wrong message about the health benefits of exercise.

A recent review by Swift clarified the role of exercise in managing or preventing obesity, and suggested that Cloud’s article was in fact an accurate portrayal of the facts [ 28 ]. The key issue of Swift’s review is that exercise without caloric restriction is unlikely to succeed in weight loss [ 28 ]. Increasing PA can prevent weight gain, but it requires 150–250 min per week of moderate to vigorous exercise or 1200–2000 kcal/week expended through exercise to accomplish this feat [ 29 ]. Aerobic exercise by itself is minimally helpful in promoting weight loss, successful in loss of only 0–2 kg total [ 29 ]. Extreme high-volume aerobic exercise can achieve significant weight loss, but this is usually unsustainable by most obese patients. Moderate intensity, surprisingly, is no different than vigorous intensity in achieving weight loss, unless subjects are matched for exercise duration. Resistance training by itself has no impact on weight loss, and aerobic training combined with resistant training has no greater effect than aerobic training alone. However, adding caloric restriction to aerobic training does result in successful weight loss of 9–13 kg, and higher intensity of exercise has the potential for even greater weight loss [ 29 ]. Some obese subjects do experience weight compensation in response to exercise, defined by the circumstances where less weight is lost than expected with the amount of exercise sustained, often a factor related to an increase in caloric intake [ 28 , 30 ]. This is more likely to occur in women performing 150 % of weekly recommendations (compared to women performing only 100 % or 50 % of weekly recommendations) [ 28 , 30 ]. Even if minimal or no weight loss occurs in response to exercise, obese subjects still benefit from the increase in PA due to increased cardiorespiratory fitness, glucose control, endothelial function, improvements in hyperlipidemia, quality of life, and a reduction in future weight gain [ 28 ].

Caloric restriction is better than exercise for significant weight loss initially, and the weight loss is not necessarily enhanced significantly by adding exercise [ 28 ], although exercise training plus caloric restriction does improve body composition by increasing fat loss and decreasing loss of lean body mass [ 31 ]. The greatest value of exercise in the management of obesity occurs not in the initial weight loss, but in the situation where obese patients have lost weight successfully and now require substantial PA to maintain that weight loss [ 28 ]. Interestingly, an “energy gap” has been identified as the difference in energy expenditure before and after weight loss [ 32 ]. The energy gap is estimated to be approximately 8 kcal per day per pound of weight lost. An energy gap, for example, of 40 lbs lost would be associated with 320 kcal of energy. Sustaining this weight loss successfully would require either a continued reduction in energy consumption by 320 kcal per day, or increasing activity-associated energy expenditure by the same amount [ 32 ]. Based on the Set Point theory, both biological and environmental pressures oppose the strategy of food restriction in keeping weight off, but the same effect does not occur with increased PA [ 32 ]. Therefore, while food restriction is the key to weight loss, PA is the key to successful maintenance of the weight lost [ 32 ]. The ACSM has identified that people who successfully maintain weight loss average at least 250 min of PA per week [ 29 ].

Low Back Pain

A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis reviewed 23 randomized controlled trials evaluating the prevention of low back pain [ 33 ]. Over 30,000 patients were involved in these studies. Ultimately, the combination of exercise (varying regimens of abdominal strengthening, core stability, cardiovascular, and isometrics) plus education regarding prevention of low back pain was found to reduce the risk of low back pain as well as sick leave related to low back pain. Exercise alone was also found to have an impact but had a more short term effect (<12 months), thought to be due to cessation of exercise following the intervention. Other interventions, including back belts, insoles, and education alone were not found to have any impact [ 33 ].

Not All Exercise is Created Equal

Physical activity versus physical fitness.

The lay public tends to use the terms PA and physical fitness interchangeably, but subtle differences between the two exist. Physical fitness is a physiologic state of being with regard to daily living and/or sports performance [ 4 ]. Physical fitness is comprised of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, body composition, and metabolic components [ 4 ]. Physical fitness is similar to PA, but is more predictive of health outcomes. For example, a high-fit versus a low-fit person is estimated to have a 50 % lower mortality [ 34 ]. Physical fitness, therefore, becomes a better measure of PA than self-reporting. From a public health standpoint, however, it is better and more productive to encourage the public to be physically active and not push the need to be physically fit. Eventually, increased activity should lead to physical fitness.

In the past, guidelines for optimal health seemed to have had a singular focus on aerobic fitness. But a new paradigm shift has occurred with the addition of the concept of musculoskeletal fitness [ 4 ]. In other words, health status can improve due to increased PA in the absence of changes in aerobic fitness. Regular PA can decrease risk factors from chronic disease and disability without changing cardiac output or oxidative potential, especially in the elderly [ 4 ]. The shift has been to focus on the health benefits of musculoskeletal fitness, which may be a critical factor in the functional threshold for dependence with the aging population. Loss of muscular fitness can result in loss of capacity for daily living, and a cycle of decline can ensue [ 4 ]. Improvement in musculoskeletal function can delay the onset of disability, dependence, and chronic disease [ 35 ]. Musculoskeletal fitness is associated with fewer functional limitations and a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, degenerative joint disease, and coronary artery disease [ 35 ]. Therefore, resistance training that works all the major muscle groups (including legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms) and flexibility exercise, which are necessary to achieve musculoskeletal fitness, are recommended to be done at least twice weekly, to complement aerobic fitness and optimize overall health status.

Adverse Health Risk from Sitting

In an effort to delineate those factors which contribute to the obesity epidemic, researchers are increasingly focused on the adverse health risk from prolonged sitting [ 36 •]. A newly recognized occupational hazard has evolved because of workers needing to sit at a computer screen throughout the workday. Each mean hour of sitting after a total mean of 7 h per day is associated with a 5 % increase in premature death [ 36 •]. More time sitting at work has been shown to correlate with more sitting in leisure time. Prolonged sitting while watching TV at home, for example, has adverse effects on mental health, well-being, and muscle strength. Long sedentary hours have been linked to a twofold increase in diabetes, a twofold increase in cardiovascular disease, a 13 % increase in the incidence of cancer, and a 17 % increase in mortality related to cancer [ 36 •]. It is estimated that the average worker in the USA and England spends 60–70 % of waking hours in a sedentary sitting position. The effect of sitting has been likened to the transmission of a car. Sitting for such a prolonged period is like putting a car in reverse, causing one’s overall health status to go in the wrong direction [ 36 •]. Approximately 20–30 % of the time is spent in light intensity activity, described as postural changes, standing and movement, or ambulation. For less than 5–10 % of waking hours, individuals spend in moderate to vigorous PA. The adverse effect of sitting on health status is independent of the exercise or PA done before or after [ 36 •]. In other words, no amount of PA later can overcome the negative health effects of prolonged sitting.

Changes in the workplace environment may be the key issue to minimizing the negative effects of prolonged sitting. Particularly, in the UK, recommendations and guidelines have been developed to avoid this health hazard [ 36 •]. Workers are encouraged to accumulate up to 2 h per day at work standing or performing light walking, with the goal to progress ultimately to 4 h per day. Workers should interrupt seat-based work with standing-based work. However, workers should avoid both prolonged periods of standing as well as prolonged periods of sitting. Adaptation of these guidelines may lead to musculoskeletal complaints and fatigue, which should be monitored by managers in the workplace. Such health promotion strategies should eventually extend from the workplace to the leisure time [ 36 •].

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) has been described as unstructured PA, energy expended unrelated to sleeping, eating, or sports exercise. NEAT is energy expended outside of purposeful exercise [ 37 ]. Surprisingly, this incidental, non-purposeful lifestyle-embedded PA can have tremendous health benefits. Three components of NEAT include body posture, ambulation, and all other movements (the most important of which may be fidgeting) [ 38 ]. Researchers involved in the study of obesity are finding that in some cases what delineates the lean subject from an obese one is a difference in NEAT, not exercise-associated activity thermogenesis [ 38 ]. Early experiments which helped identify NEAT came from studies where energy requirements were measured and all subjects were placed on a diet of 1000 cal over requirements [ 39 ]. Subjects were then videotaped, and in a blinded fashion designated as fidgeters or non-fidgeters. At the end of the trial, those patients who were designated as fidgeters failed to gain weight, while those identified to be non-fidgeters sustained significant weight gain. The increase in kilocalories of energy expenditure attributed to NEAT was inversely proportional to fat gain in pounds [ 39 ]. NEAT ranges from 15 % of total energy expenditure (TEE) in sedentary subjects to as much as 50 % of TEE in fidgeting physically active people [ 39 ]. Fidgeting has been shown in twin studies to be genetic, with an estimated >62 % heritability [ 40 ]. Simply standing or lightly ambulating can increase energy expenditure by an average of 350 kcal/day (range 269–477 kcal/day) [ 37 ]. NEAT tends to be greater in men than women, in obese subjects rather than lean, and in those with more education than those with less [ 38 , 39 ]. NEAT tends to be seasonal and overall, declines with age [ 39 ]. The concept of an energy gap is pertinent to NEAT. An average citizen in the USA has been shown to gain 1–2 lbs each year through their adult life. An energy gap of 100 kcal additional energy consumed each day would account for this weight gain [ 41 ]. NEAT can be an important contributor to TEE, such that increases in NEAT of as little as 100–150 kcal of activity per day could prevent such weight gain (by offsetting the energy gap) in the vast majority of people [ 41 ]. Recommendations now suggest that if you were not lucky enough to inherit fidgeting, you should “act like a fidgeter,” standing often, getting up from sitting, pacing, parking at the back of a parking lot, and taking stairs instead of elevators [ 40 ].

Continuous Versus Interval Exercise

Long bouts of continuous exercise as a strategy for weight loss or weight maintenance can be a contentious and challenging recommendation for the general public. Longer duration, continuous exercise may be difficult and not particularly enjoyable for patients and may not fit as well with work or home schedules. Research now has shown that interval exercise, which involves alternating short bouts of high-intensity exercise with lower-intensity exercise that allows for partial recovery, can match the health benefits of continuous exercise [ 42 ]. Studies in patients with class-1 obesity (BMI 30–34.9 kg/m 2 ), walking at a moderate level of intensity, randomized to two 15-min intervals of walking versus one 30-min interval, showed essentially the same improvements in overall health status [ 42 ]. Both intermittent and continuous exercise resulted in improvement of maximum oxygen consumption, body composition, and lipid profiles. In some categories, interval exercise even exceeded the benefit seen with continuous exercise (such as VLDL levels and percent fat lost) [ 42 ]. The value of these findings for intermittent exercise stems from three factors: there is less attrition with recommendations for interval exercise, time constraints, and short periods of interval exercising may allow for greater intensity of PA [ 42 ]. An additional study involving 28 sedentary overweight or obese men compared five 45- to 60-min sessions of continuous moderate intensity cycling per week for 6 weeks with three 20-min sessions of high-intensity interval exercise per week (for a total of 60 min) for 6 weeks. Similar improvements in cardio-metabolic risk factors including improved insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness, and a reduction in blood lipids and body fat percentage were observed in the groups [ 43 ]. While cardiovascular fitness was improved to a greater extent in the continuous exercise group, this study, along with numerous other studies of interval exercise showing similar outcomes in different populations, are encouraging in that they show many of the same improvements in overall health with a substantially reduced time commitment [ 43 ]. This is especially relevant as lack of time is cited as the most common reason for not exercising by many. In addition, interval exercise can be easily adapted to an individual’s starting fitness level by adjusting either the duration or intensity (or both) of the high-intensity component of exercise. This may be especially beneficial for sedentary overweight or obese individuals who are new to exercise. In light of both the potential health and time saving benefits, interval exercise training appears to be an appealing and worthwhile exercise option in addition to, or instead of, continuous exercise. The good news for public health is that short walks on a subject’s lunch break or brief periods of activity before and after work all count, and the sum of their duration may have similar benefits to a single continuous interval of exercise of the same duration.

Success of Pedometers

The use of pedometers to increase PA was generated years ago in Japanese walking clubs. The rationalization for the pedometer was that the average stride was estimated to be 2.5 ft. Therefore, 2000 steps should approximately equal a mile, 10,000 equaling about 5 miles [ 44 ]. Based on this rationalization, PA can be classified as sedentary (<5000 steps per day), low active (5000 to 7500 steps), somewhat active (7500 to 10,000 steps), and active (>10,000 steps per day). Highly active physical exercise is associated with >12,500 steps per day [ 44 ]. This is an arbitrary categorization, however, and 10,000 steps per day may be too little for children or too much for the elderly. Weight loss using a pedometer without caloric restriction is associated with minimal to modest weight loss of <2 kg [ 44 ]. Health benefits associated with use of the pedometer may be limited to a reduction in blood pressure, with not much change in cholesterol, triglycerides, or fasting glucose [ 44 ].

Exercise in the Intensive Care Unit

Exercise is becoming increasingly important in one of the least expected circumstances, that of a critically ill patient in the intensive care unit (ICU). Researchers have found that exercising muscle increases the uptake of amino acid fuel and promotes greater protein synthesis [ 45 , 46 ]. Patients in the ICU on a ventilator in some centers are gotten out of bed and encouraged to walk with assistance in the hallway. Other centers have used a pedaling device, some of which can even be adapted for passive activity in a patient who is otherwise sedated and minimally responsive. Exercise in the critical care setting helps maintain muscular strength, reduces the risk for long-term neuromuscular weakness, shortens rehabilitation, and is more likely to result in the patient being discharged to their home [ 45 , 46 ].

Recommendations for Public Health

Similar to the Food Guide Pyramid designed by the USDA, an activity pyramid has been created to guide the public in strategies to increase flexibility, muscular strength, and aerobic capacity ( www.wellspan.org/media/3648/activitypyramid-2009.pdf ). Every day, subjects are encouraged to increase activity in leisure and at work. Three to five times per week, aerobic activity should occur, accumulating 150 min each week ( www.wellspan.org/media/3648/activitypyramid-2009.pdf ). Two to three times per week, muscular activity focusing on flexibility and strength training should be scheduled. Sitting more than 30 min at a time, watching TV, or staring at a computer screen should be minimized or reduced as much as possible ( www.wellspan.org/media/3648/activitypyramid-2009.pdf ).

Guidelines differentiate between moderate and vigorous intensity of PA. Moderate intensity is defined by a 3–5 MET level of effort, and includes activities that cause some increase in breathing and heart rate (such as walking 3–4 miles per hour, bicycling on level ground, light swimming, gardening, or mowing a lawn) [ 4 ]. Vigorous intensity is defined by ≥6 METs, and is exemplified by activities causing large increases in breathing, heart rate, and sweating. Such activities of vigorous intensity would include jogging or running at faster than a 10 min mile, aerobic dancing, competitive sports, heavy yard or construction work, brisk swimming, or fast bicycling [ 4 ].

The amount of PA needed to optimize health is not clear. The particular dose of exercise required to achieve benefits with regard to a particular disease process is difficult to ascertain. For cardiovascular disease, the intensity of PA is inversely and linearly associated with increased mortality, with the biggest effect seen as a reduction of premature death [ 47 ]. PA of >2000 kcal per week extends life by 1–2 years by age 80 [ 47 ]. An average energy expenditure of 1000 kcal per week is associated with a 20–30 % decrease in all-cause mortality. Beginning at a minimum of 1000 kcal per week, increasing benefits are seen with increasing energy expenditure, suggesting a dose-response gradient to the effect of exercise on cardiovascular health [ 47 ]. For diabetes mellitus, there is decreased risk from this disease process with PA of >5.5 METs for at least 40 min per week [ 48 ]. Walking 2 h per week decreases the risk of premature death from diabetes [ 48 ]. Moderate exercise defined by a >4.5 METs for 30–60 min per day reduces both the risk of colon cancer and breast cancer [ 19 ]. For women in particular, >7 h per week of moderate exercise has been shown to be successful in reducing risk of breast cancer (TI01). For osteoporosis, the dose-response gradient is less clear, with recommendations simply emphasizing that osteogenic adaptation is load-dependent and site-specific [ 4 ]. The Center for Disease Control (CDC), the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Healthy People 2010 recommendations provide guidelines for aerobic activity for public health purposes [ 49 ]. Adults should engage in PA of moderate intensity for at least 150 min per week or engage in PA of vigorous intensity for at least 75 min per week. Bouts of exercise may be broken up into smaller increments lasting at least 10 min [ 49 ].

Should Anyone Not be Exercising?

Jim Fixx was a celebrity journalist who helped contribute to the running craze seen in the 1980s in the USA. His sudden death from cardiovascular disease, while jogging, raised questions as to the need for medical evaluation prior to engaging in a program of increasing PA. Moderately strenuous PA may trigger ischemic events, particularly among sedentary people. There is an increased incidence of primary heart attack in high-intensity exercise. In competitive athletes, 80 % of deaths are caused by coronary artery disease. Some subjects do need to have their health risks assessed prior to engaging in an aggressive program.

The degree to which a person is evaluated prior to exercise depends on the presence or absence of cardiovascular disease risk factors and whether the exercise will be moderate or vigorous in intensity [ 50 ]. Subjects at low risk would be those who are young in age (<45 years for male, <55 years for female), are asymptomatic, and have ≤1 cardiovascular risk disease factors. These patients do not need a medical evaluation or stress test for moderate or even vigorous exercise. Subjects at moderate risk are older (men >45 years, women >55 years), or have ≥2 risk factors for cardiovascular disease. For moderate exercise, no medical evaluation may be needed, but these subjects should undergo a stress test. If exercise of vigorous intensity is planned, both a medical evaluation and a stress test should be performed. For those patients at high risk, however, defined by ≥1 sign or symptom of cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic disease, both a full medical evaluation and stress test should be performed before any program is undertaken [ 50 ].

Specifically, those subjects who should not be exercising are those experiencing an acute myocardial infarction, subjects with unstable angina, systolic blood pressure >180, diastolic pressure >110 ml/Hg, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, poorly controlled congestive heart failure, or thrombophlebitis [ 50 ].

While formal studies have shown that physician counseling is time-intensive and only minimally effective in changing behavior, physicians should no longer avoid the subject of recommendations for exercise as part of the healthcare they deliver to their patients. Physicians can begin by suggesting lifestyle changes such as climbing stairs at work, parking further away from the door on errands, walking regularly, and doing chores at home and in the yard. Clinicians should write on a prescription pad for the patient, specifying the type of exercise, duration, frequency, and intensity. The physician upon discharge from an office visit should determine plans for support and follow up to encourage success, manage obstacles, and prevent relapses. Clinicians should encourage their outpatients to involve community services such as physical therapy, mall-walking programs, school tracks, safe neighborhoods, the YMCA, and walk-a-thon’s.

Physicians should counsel that exercise is not an option. The exercise does not have to be continuous to be effective, and any physical activity counts. Patients should sit less, stand more, and plan their exercise activity at the beginning of each week. Subjects should be encouraged to find activities which they enjoy and involve others to maintain compliance. As Edward Stanley, the Earl of Derby in 1873 said, “Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness” [ 51 ].

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Keith R. Miller

Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA

Stephen A. McClave, Kristine Krueger & Sarah Landes

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Melina B. Jampolis

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Miller, K.R., McClave, S.A., Jampolis, M.B. et al. The Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity. Curr Nutr Rep 5 , 204–212 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-016-0175-5

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Why Exercise Is More Important Than Weight Loss for a Longer Life

People typically lower their risks of heart disease and premature death far more by gaining fitness than by dropping weight.

By Gretchen Reynolds

For better health and a longer life span, exercise is more important than weight loss, especially if you are overweight or obese, according to an interesting new review of the relationships between fitness, weight, heart health and longevity. The study, which analyzed the results of hundreds of previous studies of weight loss and workouts in men and women, found that obese people typically lower their risks of heart disease and premature death far more by gaining fitness than by dropping weight or dieting.

The review adds to mounting evidence that most of us can be healthy at any weight, if we are also active enough.

I have written frequently in this column about the science of exercise and weight loss, much of which is, frankly, dispiriting, if your goal is to be thinner. This past research overwhelmingly shows that people who start to exercise rarely lose much, if any, weight, unless they also cut back substantially on food intake. Exercise simply burns too few calories, in general, to aid in weight reduction. We also tend to compensate for some portion of the meager caloric outlay from exercise by eating more afterward or moving less or unconsciously dialing back on our bodies’ metabolic operations to reduce overall daily energy expenditure, as I wrote about in last week’s column .

Glenn Gaesser, a professor of exercise physiology at Arizona State University in Phoenix, is well versed in the inadequacies of workouts for fat loss. For decades, he has been studying the effects of physical activity on people’s body compositions and metabolisms, as well as their endurance, with a particular focus on people who are obese. Much of his past research has underscored the futility of workouts for weight loss. In a 2015 experiment he oversaw , for instance, 81 sedentary, overweight women began a new routine of walking three times a week for 30 minutes. After 12 weeks, a few of them had shed some body fat, but 55 of them had gained weight.

In other studies from Dr. Gaesser’s lab , though, overweight and obese people with significant health problems, including high blood pressure, poor cholesterol profiles or insulin resistance, a marker for Type 2 diabetes, showed considerable improvements in those conditions after they started exercising, whether they dropped any weight or not. Seeing these results, Dr. Gaesser began to wonder if fitness might enable overweight people to enjoy sound metabolic health, whatever their body mass numbers, and potentially live just as long as thinner people — or even longer, if the slender people happened to be out of shape.

So, for the new study, which was published this month in iScience, he and his colleague Siddhartha Angadi, a professor of education and kinesiology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, began scouring research databases for past studies related to dieting, exercise, fitness, metabolic health and longevity. They were especially interested in meta-analyses, which pool and analyze data from multiple past studies, allowing researchers to look at results from far more people than in most individual studies of weight loss or exercise, which tend to be small-scale.

They wound up with more than 200 relevant meta-analyses and individual studies. Then they set out to see what all of this research, involving tens of thousands of men and women, most of them obese, indicated about the relative benefits of losing weight or getting fit for improving metabolisms and longevity. In effect, they asked whether someone who is heavy gets more health bang from losing weight or getting up and moving.

The contest, they found, was not close. “Compared head-to-head, the magnitude of benefit was far greater from improving fitness than from losing weight,” Dr. Gaesser said.

As a whole, the studies they cite show that sedentary, obese men and women who begin to exercise and improve their fitness can lower their risk of premature death by as much as 30 percent or more, even if their weight does not budge. This improvement generally puts them at lower risk of early death than people who are considered to be of normal weight but out of shape, Dr. Gaesser said.

On the other hand, if heavy people lose weight by dieting (not illness), their statistical risk of dying young typically drops by about 16 percent, but not in all studies. Some of the research cited in the new review finds that weight loss among obese people does not decrease mortality risks at all.

The new review was not designed to determine precisely how exercise or weight loss affect longevity in people with obesity, though. But in many of the studies they looked at, Dr. Gaesser said, people who shed pounds by dieting regained them, then tried again, a yo-yo approach to weight loss that often contributes to metabolic problems like diabetes and high cholesterol and lower life expectancy.

On the other hand, exercise combats those same conditions, he said. It may also, unexpectedly, remake people’s fat stores. “People with obesity usually lose some visceral fat when they exercise,” he said, even if their overall weight loss is negligible. Visceral fat, which collects deep inside our bodies, raises risks for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other conditions.

A few of the studies they cite find that exercise likewise alters molecular signaling inside other fat cells in ways that may improve insulin resistance, no matter how much weight someone carries. “It looks like exercise makes fat more fit,” Dr. Gaesser said.

The primary takeaway of the new review, he concluded, is that you do not need to lose weight to be healthy. “You will be better off, in terms of mortality risk, by increasing your physical activity and fitness than by intentionally losing weight,” he said.

Let Us Help You Pick Your Next Workout

Looking for a new way to get moving we have plenty of options..

To get the most out of your strength training, you need to let go of routine and try progressive overload .

What is the best time of day to exercise? A few recent studies have brought us closer to an answer .

Sprinting, at least for short distances, can be a great way to level up your workout routine .

Cycling isn’t just fun. It can also deliver big fitness gains with the right gear and strategy .

Is your workout really working for you? Take our quiz to find out .

Pick the Right Equipment With Wirecutter’s Recommendations

Want to build a home gym? These five things can help you transform your space into a fitness center.

Transform your upper-body workouts with a simple pull-up bar and an adjustable dumbbell set .

Choosing the best running shoes and running gear can be tricky. These tips make the process easier.

A comfortable sports bra can improve your overall workout experience. These are the best on the market .

Few things are more annoying than ill-fitting, hard-to-use headphones. Here are the best ones for the gym and for runners .

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We all know that exercise is important in our daily lives, but we may not know why or what exercise can do for us.

It’s important to remember that we have evolved from nomadic ancestors who spent all their time moving around in search of food and shelter, travelling large distances on a daily basis. Our bodies are designed and have evolved to be regularly active.

In the same way that a sports car is designed to go fast, we are designed to move. If the sports car is taken out once a week for a 3 mile round trip through a town centre then it would probably develop engine problems fairly quickly.

Over time people too develop problems if they sit down all day at a desk or in front of the TV and minimise the amount of exercise they do.

The Benefits of Exercise

There are many benefits of regular exercise and maintaining fitness and these include:, exercise increases energy levels.

Exercise improves both the strength and the efficiency of your cardiovascular system to get the oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. When your cardiovascular system works better everything seems easier and you have more energy for the fun stuff in life.

Exercise improves muscle strength

Staying active keeps muscles strong and joints, tendons and ligaments flexible, allowing you to move more easily and avoid injury. Strong muscles and ligaments reduce your risk of joint and lower back pain by keeping joints in proper alignment. They also improve coordination and balance.

Exercise can help you to maintain a healthy weight

See our page: Dieting and Weight Loss for more information.

The more you exercise, the more calories you burn. In addition, the more muscle you develop, the higher your metabolic rate becomes, so you burn more calories even when you’re not exercising. The result? You may lose weight and look better physically which will boost your self-esteem .

Exercise improves brain function

Exercise increases blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain. It also encourages the release of the brain chemicals (hormones) that are responsible for the production of cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory and learning. This, in turn, boosts concentration levels and cognitive ability, and helps reduce the risk of cognitive degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

See our pages: Keeping your Mind Healthy and Memory Skills for more information.

There is overwhelming evidence that people who lead active lifestyles are less likely to suffer from illness and more likely to live longer.

Exercise is good for your heart

Exercise reduces LDL cholesterol (the type that clogs your arteries), increases HDL (the good cholesterol) and reduces blood pressure so it lowers the stress on your heart. Added to this, it also strengthens your heart muscle. Combined with a healthy diet, exercise lowers the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

Regular exercise lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Regular exercise helps to control blood glucose levels, which helps to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Additionally exercise helps to prevent obesity, which is a primary factor in the development of type 2 diabetes.

Exercise enhances your immune system

Exercise improves your body’s ability to pump the oxygen and nutrients around your body that are required to fuel the cells that fight bacteria and viruses.

Staying active reduces the likelihood of developing some degenerative bone diseases

Weight bearing exercise such as running, walking or weight training lowers your risk of both osteoarthritis and osteoporosis – the adage of “ use it or lose it ” really does apply to bones.

Exercise may help to reduce the risk of certain cancers

Being fit may mean that the risks of colon cancer, breast cancer and possibly also lung and endometrial cancers are reduced. Studies by the Seattle Cancer Research Centre have suggested that 35% of all cancer deaths are linked to being overweight and sedentary.

Exercise not only makes you physically fitter but it also improves your mental health and general sense of well-being.

Active people tend to sleep better

Physical activity makes you more tired so you’re more ready to sleep. Good quality sleep helps improve overall wellness and can reduce stress. See our page The Importance of Sleep for more information.

Exercise improves your mood and gives you an improved sense of well-being

Physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins which make you feel better and more relaxed. These in turn improve your mood and lower your stress levels.

Exercise can help prevent and treat mental illnesses like depression

Physical activity can help you meet people, reduce stress levels , cope with frustration, give you a sense of achievement, and provide some important “me time”, all of which help with depression .

Keeping fit can reduce some of the effects of ageing

Exercise can be fun!

Getting fit is not just about running on a treadmill for hours in your local gym, it can be a dance class or a new hobby like fencing or mountain biking. It could be a group or team activity like football or a karate class.

Whatever form of exercise you choose, you’ll almost certainly meet new people and may make new friends.

How Much Should you Exercise?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, current guidelines suggest that to stay healthy, adults between 19 and 64 should try to be active daily and follow these recommendations:

Cardiorespiratory Exercise

Cardiorespiratory exercise, often abbreviated to 'cardio', is any exercise that increases the heartbeat and breathing rate.

Such exercises include walking, running, swimming, cycling, dancing and team sports such as football, hockey, basketball etc.

You should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

These recommendations can be achieved through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five times a week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three times a week) or a combination of both types.

One continuous session combined with multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes) is also acceptable.

For those starting out, gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended. You are more likely to stay on track and avoid injury if you start gently.

Even if you can't reach these minimum targets you can still benefit from some activity.

Resistance Exercise

Resistance exercise is concerned with working the bodies muscle groups and building strength.

It is recommended that adults train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.

Very light or light intensity resistance training is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults new to exercise

Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power.

For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise, while 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance.

It is recommended that adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.

Moderate vs Vigorous Intensity

There are a number of different ways to classify the intensity of any exercise, some based on heart rate, some on perceived exertion and some on how the exercise affects your metabolic rate.

Generally Speaking...

Moderate-intensity activity should raise your heart rate, make you breathe faster and make you feel warm enough to start to sweat.

Vigorous intensity exercise will make you breathe hard, increase your heart rate significantly and make you hot enough to sweat profusely.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggests that moderate-intensity activity allows you to talk but not to sing, whereas more vigorous activity results in an inability to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.

Examples of moderate intensity exercise include:

Brisk walking (100 steps/minute)
Swimming or aqua aerobics
Gentle cycling (5-9mph)
Badminton or doubles tennis

Examples of vigorous intensity exercise include:

Power walking at 5mph or more, or walking uphill briskly
Cycling faster than 10mph
Martial arts
Competitive sports (football, basketball, rugby etc.)
Skipping/jump rope

Overall though, any activity that gets you moving, gets your heart rate up and gives you enough pleasure to do it regularly and often is good for you in almost every way.

Have fun, be healthy and feel good!

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Health Benefits of Exercise

Gregory n. ruegsegger.

1 Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211

Frank W. Booth

2 Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211

3 Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211

4 Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211

Overwhelming evidence exists that lifelong exercise is associated with a longer health span, delaying the onset of 40 chronic conditions/diseases. What is beginning to be learned is the molecular mechanisms by which exercise sustains and improves quality of life. The current review begins with two short considerations. The first short presentation concerns the effects of endurance exercise training on cardiovascular fitness, and how it relates to improved health outcomes. The second short section contemplates emerging molecular connections from endurance training to mental health. Finally, approximately half of the remaining review concentrates on the relationships between type 2 diabetes, mitochondria, and endurance training. It is now clear that physical training is complex biology, invoking polygenic interactions within cells, tissues/organs, systems, with remarkable cross talk occurring among the former list.

The aim of this introduction is briefly to document facts that health benefits of physical activity predate its readers. In the 5th century BC, the ancient physician Hippocrates stated: “All parts of the body, if used in moderation and exercised in labors to which each is accustomed, become thereby healthy and well developed and age slowly; but if they are unused and left idle, they become liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly.” However, by the 21st century, the belief in the value of exercise for health has faded so considerably, the lack of exercise now presents a major public health problem ( Fig. 1 ) ( Booth et al. 2012 ). Similarly, the lack of exercise was classified as an actual cause of chronic diseases and death ( Mokdad et al. 2004 ).

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Simplistic overview of how physical activity can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and one of its complications, cardiovascular disease. Physical inactivity is an actual cause of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and tens of other chronic conditions ( Table 1 ) via interaction with other factors (e.g., age, diet, gender, and genetics) to increase disease risk factors. This leads to chronic disease, reduced quality of life, and premature death. However, physical activity can prevent and, in some cases, treat disease progression associated with physical inactivity and other genetic and environmental factors.

Published in 1953, Jeremy N. Morris and colleagues conducted the first rigorous epidemiological study investigating physical activity and chronic disease risk, in which coronary heart disease (CHD) rates were increased in physically inactive bus drivers versus active conductors ( Morris et al. 1953 ). Since this pioneering report, a plethora of evidence shows that physical inactivity is associated with the development of 40 chronic diseases ( Table 1 ), including major noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and CHD, and as premature mortality ( Booth et al. 2012 ).

Worsening of 40 conditions caused by the lack of physical activity with growth, maturation, and aging throughout life span

The breadth of the list implies that a single molecular target will not substitute for appropriate daily physical activity to prevent the loss of all listed items.

In this review, we highlight the far-reaching health benefits of physical activity. However, note that the studies cited here represent only a fraction of the >100,000 studies showing positive associations between the terms “exercise” and “health.” In addition, we discuss how exercise promotes complex integrative responses that lead to multisystem responses to exercise, an underappreciated area of medical research. Finally, we consider how strategies that “mimic” parts of exercise training compare with physical exercise for their potential to combat metabolic disease.

EXERCISE IMPROVES CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS

There is arguably no measure more important for health than cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) (commonly measured by maximal oxygen uptake, VO 2max ) ( Blair et al. 1989 ). For example, Myers et al. (2002 ) showed that each 1 metabolic equivalent (1 MET) increase in exercise-test performance conferred a 12% improvement in survival, stating that “VO 2max is a more powerful predictor of mortality among men than other established risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD).” Low CRF is also well established as an independent risk factor of T2D ( Booth et al. 2002 ) and CVD morbidity and mortality ( Kodama et al. 2009 ; Gupta et al. 2011 ). Similarly, Kokkinos et al. (2010) reported that men who transitioned from having low to high CRF decreased their mortality risk by ∼50% over an 8-yr period, whereas men who transitioned from having high to low CRF increased their mortality risk by ∼50%.

Importantly then, from the above paragraph, physical activity and inactivity are major environmental modulators of CRF, increasing and decreasing it, respectively, often through independent pathways. Findings from rats selectively bred for high or low intrinsic aerobic capacity show that rats bred for high capacity, which are also more physically active, have 28%–42% increases in life span compared to low-capacity rats ( Koch et al. 2011 ). Endurance exercise is well recognized to improve CRF and cardiometabolic risk factors. Exercise improves numerous factors speculated to limit VO 2max including, but not restricted to, the capacity to transport oxygen (e.g., cardiac output), oxygen diffusion to working muscles (e.g., capillary density, membrane permeability, muscle myoglobin content), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation (e.g., mitochondrial density, protein concentrations).

Data from the HERITAGE Family Study has provided some of the first knowledge of genes associated with VO 2max plasticity because of endurance-exercise training. Following 6 wk of cycling training at 70% of pretraining VO 2max , Timmons et al. (2010) performed messenger RNA (mRNA) expression microarray profiling to identify molecules potentially predicting VO 2max training responses, and then assessed these molecular predictors to determine whether DNA variants in these genes correlated with VO 2max training responses. This approach identified 29 mRNAs in skeletal muscle and 11 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predicted ∼50% and ∼23%, respectively, of the variability in VO 2max plasticity following aerobic training ( Timmons et al. 2010 ). Intriguingly, pretraining levels of these mRNAs were greater in subjects that achieved greater increases in VO 2max following aerobic training, and of the 29 mRNAs, >90% were unchanged with aerobic training, suggesting that alternative exercise intervention paradigms or pharmacological strategies may be needed to improve VO 2max in individuals with a low responder profile for the identified predictor genes ( Timmons et al. 2010 ). Keller et al. (2011) found that, in response to endurance training, improvements in VO 2max were associated with effectively up-regulating proangiogenic gene networks and miRNAs influencing the transcription factor–directed networks for runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1), paired box gene 3 (PAC3), and sex-determining region Y box 9 (SOX9). Collectively, these results led the investigators to speculate that improvements in skeletal muscle oxygen sensing and angiogenesis are primary determinates in training responses in VO 2max ( Keller et al. 2011 ).

Clinically important concepts have emerged from the pioneering HERITAGE Family Study. One new clinical concept is that a threshold dose–response relationship influences the percentage of subjects responding with an increase in VO 2max to endurance training volumes (with volume being defined here as the product of intensity × duration), as previously published ( Slentz et al. 2005 , 2007 ). Ross et al. (2015) later extended the aforementioned Slentz et al. studies. After a 24-wk-long endurance training study ( Ross et al. 2015 ), percentages of women and men identified as nonresponders to the training (i.e., defined as not increasing their VO 2peak ) progressively fell inversely to a two stepwise progressive increase in endurance-exercise training volume, as described next. Thirty-nine percent (15 of 39) of training subjects did not increase their VO 2peak in response to the low-amount, low-intensity training; 18% (9 of 51) had no increase in VO 2peak in the group having high-amount, low-intensity training; and 0% (0 of 31) who underwent high-amount, high-intensity training did not increase their VO 2peak . A biological basis for the dose–response relationship in the previous sentence could be made from an analysis of interval training (IT) and IT/continuous-training studies published from 1965 to 2012 ( Bacon et al. 2013 ). A second older concept is being reinvigorated; Bacon et al. (2013) indicate that different endurance-exercise intensities and durations are needed for different systems in the body. They suggest that very short periods of high-intensity endurance-type exercise may be needed to reach a threshold for peripheral metabolic adaptations, but that longer training durations at lower intensities are required to see large changes in maximal cardiac output and VO 2max .

A comparable example exists for resistance training. Maximal resistance loads require a minimum of 2 min/per wk for each muscle group recruited by a specific maneuver to obtain a strength training adaptation [(8 contractions/set × 2 sec/contraction × 3 sets/day) × 2 days/wk) = 96 sec]. As of 2016, one opinion from Sarzynski et al. (2016) for the molecular mechanisms by which endurance exercise drives VO 2max include, but are not limited to, calcium signaling, energy sensing and partitioning, mitochondrial biogenesis, angiogenesis, immune functions, and regulation of autophagy and apoptosis.

Perhaps more importantly, lifelong aerobic exercise training preserves VO 2max into old age. CRF generally increases until early adulthood, then declines the remainder of life in sedentary humans ( Astrand 1956 ). The age-related decline in VO 2max is not trivial, as Schneider (2013) reported a ∼40% decline in healthy males and females spanning from 20 to 70 yr of age. However, cross-sectional data show that with lifelong aerobic exercise training, trained individuals often have the same VO 2max as a sedentary individual four decades younger ( Booth et al. 2012 ). Myers et al. (2002) found that low estimated VO 2max increases mortality 4.5-fold compared to high estimated VO 2max . They concluded, “Exercise capacity is a more powerful predictor of mortality among men than other established risk factors for cardiovascular disease.” Given the strong association between CRF, chronic disease, and mortality, we feel identifying the molecular transducers that cause age-related reductions in CRF may have profound implications for improving health span and delaying the onset of chronic disease. In two of our recent papers, transcriptomics was performed on the triceps muscle ( Toedebusch et al. 2016 ) and on the cardiac left ventricle ( Ruegsegger et al. 2017 ). We were addressing the question of what molecule initiates the beginning of the lifelong decline in aerobic capacity with aging. Aerobic capacity (VO 2max ) involves, at a minimum, the next systems/tissues, as oxygen travels through the mouth, airways, pulmonary membrane, pulmonary circulation, left heart, aorta/arteries/capillaries, and sarcoplasm/myoglobin to mitochondria. We allowed female rats access, or no access, to running wheels from 5 to 27 wk of age. Surprisingly, voluntary running had no effect on the delay in the beginning of the lifetime decrease in VO 2max . Our skeletal muscle transcriptomics elicited no molecular targets, whereas gene networks suggestive of influencing maximal stroke volume were identified in the left ventricle transcriptomics ( Ruegsegger et al. 2017 ).

Publications concerning the effects of exercise on the brain (from 54 to 216 papers listed on PubMed from 2007 to 2016) have increased 400%. In addition, a 2016 study ( Schuch et al. 2016 ) of three previous papers reported that humans with low- and moderate-CRF had 76% and 23%, respectively, increased risk of developing depression compared to high CRF in three publications. With this forming trend, the next section will consider exercise and brain health.

EXERCISE IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH

Many studies support physical activity as a noninvasive therapy for mental health improvements in cognition ( Beier et al. 2014 ; Bielak et al. 2014 ; Tian et al. 2014 ), depression ( Kratz et al. 2014 ; McKercher et al. 2014 ; Mura et al. 2014 ), anxiety ( Greenwood et al. 2012 ; Nishijima et al. 2013 ; Schoenfeld et al. 2013 ), neurodegenerative diseases (i.e., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease) ( Bjerring and Arendt-Nielsen 1990 ; Mattson 2014 ), and drug addiction ( Zlebnik et al. 2012 ; Lynch et al. 2013 ; Peterson et al. 2014 ). In 1999, van Praag et al. (1999) showed the survival of newborn cells in the adult mouse dentate gyrus, a hippocampal region important for spatial recognition, is enhanced by voluntary wheel running. Similarly, spatial pattern separation and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus are strongly correlated in 3-mo-old mice following 10 wk of voluntary wheel running ( Creer et al. 2010 ), and the development of new neurons in the dentate gyrus is coupled with the formation of new blood vessels ( Pereira et al. 2007 ). Many exercise-related improvements in cognitive function have been associated with local and systemic expression of growth factors in the hippocampus, notably, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) ( Neeper et al. 1995 ; Cotman and Berchtold 2002 ). BDNF promotes many developmental functions in the brain, including neuronal cell survival, differentiation, migration, dendritic arborization, and synaptic plasticity ( Park and Poo 2013 ). In rat hippocampus, regular exercise promotes a progressive increase in BDNF protein for up to at least 3 mo ( Berchtold et al. 2005 ). In an opposite manner, BDNF mRNA in the hippocampus is rapidly decreased by the cessation of wheel running, suggesting BDNF expression is tightly related to exercise volume ( Widenfalk et al. 1999 ).

Findings by Wrann et al. (2013) highlight one mechanism by which endurance exercise may up-regulate BDNF expression. To summarize, Wrann et al. (2013) noted that exercise increases the activity of the estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) complex, in turn increasing levels of the exercise-secreted factor FNDC5 in skeletal muscle and the hippocampus, whose cleavage products provide beneficial effects in the hippocampus by increasing BDNF gene expression. While future research should determine whether the FNDC5 cleavage-product was produced locally in hippocampal neurons or was secreted into the circulation, this finding eloquently displays one mechanism responsible for brain health benefits following exercise. Similarly, work by van Praag and colleagues suggests that exercise or pharmacological activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in skeletal muscle enhances indices of learning and memory, neurogenesis, and gene expression related to mitochondrial function in the hippocampus ( Kobilo et al. 2011 , 2014 ; Guerrieri and van Praag 2015 ).

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), is central to many exercise-induced adaptations in the brain. Like BDNF, physical activity increases circulatory IGF-1 levels and both exercise and infusion of IGF-1 increase BrdU + cell number and survivability in the hippocampus ( Trejo et al. 2001 ). Similarly, the protective effects of exercise on various brain lesions are nullified by anti-IGF-1 antibody ( Carro et al. 2001 ).

In 1979, Greist et al. (1979) provided evidence that running reduced depression symptoms similarly to psychotherapy. However, the precise mechanisms by which exercise prevents and/or treats depression remain largely unknown. Of the proposed mechanisms, increases in the availability of brain neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors (e.g., BDNF, dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine, serotonin) are perhaps the best studied. For example, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity, the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine formation, in the striatum, an area of the brain's reward system, is increased following 7 days of treadmill running in an intensity-dependent manner ( Hattori et al. 1994 ). Voluntary wheel running is also highly rewarding in rats, and voluntary wheel running in rats lowers the motivation to self-administer cocaine, suggesting exercise may be a viable strategy in the fight against drug addiction ( Larson and Carroll 2005 ).

Similar to the above examples, secreted factors from skeletal muscle have been linked to the regulation of depression. Agudelo et al. (2014) showed that exercise training in mice and humans, and overexpression of skeletal muscle PGC-1α1, leads to robust increases in kynurenine amino transferase (KAT) expression in skeletal muscle, an enzyme whose activity protects from stress-induced increases in depression in the brain by converting kynurenine into kynurenic acid. Additionally, overexpression of PGC-1α1 in skeletal muscle left mice resistant to stress, as evaluated by various behavioral assays indicative of depression ( Agudelo et al. 2014 ). Simultaneously, they report gene expression related to synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, such as BDNF and CamkII, were unaffected by chronic mild stress compared to wild-type mice. Collectively, these findings suggest exercise-induced increases in skeletal muscle PGC-1α1 may be an important regulator of KAT expression in skeletal muscle, which, via modulation in plasma kynurenine levels, may alleviate stress-induced depression and promote hippocampal neuronal plasticity.

TYPE 2 DIABETES, MITOCHONDRIA, AND EXERCISE

T2d predictions show a pandemic.

In a 2001 Diabetes Care article ( Boyle et al. 2001 ), investigators at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) predicted 29 million U.S. cases of T2D would be present in 2050. Unfortunately, the 2001 prediction of 29 million was reached in 2012! For 2012, the American Diabetes Association reported that 29 million Americans had diagnosed and undiagnosed T2D, which was 9% of the American population ( Dwyer-Lindgren et al. 2016 ). More rapid increases in T2D are now predicted by the CDC than in the previous estimate. The CDC now predicts a doubling or tripling in T2D in 2050. The tripling would mean that one out of three U.S. adults would have T2D in their lifetime by 2050 ( Boyle et al. 2010 ), which would be >100 million U.S. cases. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reports T2D cases worldwide. In 2015, the IDF reported that 344 and 416 million North American (including Caribbean) and worldwide adults, respectively, had T2D. Furthermore, the IDF predicts for 2040 that 413 and 642 million, respectively, will have T2D. In sum, T2D is now pandemic, and the pandemic will increase in numbers without current apparent action within the general public.

Type 2 Diabetes Prevalence Is Based on a Strong Genetic Predisposition

The Framingham study found that T2D risk in offspring was 3.5-fold and sixfold higher for a single and two diabetic parent(s), respectively, as compared to nondiabetic offspring ( Meigs et al. 2000 ). Thus, T2D is gene-based.

Noncoding regions of the human genome contain >90% of the >100 variants associated with both T2D and related traits that were observed in genome-wide association studies ( Scott et al. 2016 ). Another 2016 paper ( Kwak and Park 2016 ) lists at least 75 independent genetic loci that are associated with T2D. Taken together, T2D is a complex genetic disease ( Scott et al. 2016 ).

Type 2 Diabetes Is Modulated by Lifestyle, with Exercise as the More Powerful Lifestyle Factor

Three large-scale epidemiological studies have been performed on prediabetics, each in a different geographical location. The first study, and only study to have separate study arms for diet and exercise, was in China. The pure exercise intervention group had a 46% reduction in the onset of T2D, relative to the nontreated group, after 6 yr of the study ( Pan et al. 1997 ). Diet alone reduced T2D by 31% in the Chinese study. The second study on T2D was the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study. It found a 58% reduction in T2D in the lifestyle intervention (combined diet and exercise) in its 522 prediabetic subjects after a mean study duration of 3.2 yr ( Tuomilehto et al. 2001 ). The latest of the three studies was in the U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program. The large randomized trial ( n = 3150 prediabetics) was stopped after 2.8 yr, because of harm to the control group. T2D prevalence in the high-risk adults was reduced by 58% with intensive lifestyle (diet and exercise) intervention, whereas the drug arm (metformin) of the study only reduced T2D by 31%, both compared to the noninnervation group ( Knowler et al. 2002 ). Thus, if differences in genetics in the above three differing ethnicities are not a factor, combined exercise and diet remain more effective in T2D prevention than the drug metformin two decades ago.

Exercise Increases Glucose by Signaling Independent of the Insulin Receptor

A single exercise bout increases glucose uptake by skeletal muscle, sidestepping the insulin receptor and thus insulin resistance in T2D patients ( Holloszy and Narahara 1965 ; Goodyear and Kahn 1998 ; Holloszy 2005 ). After insulin binding to its receptor, insulin initiates a downstream signaling cascade of tyrosine autophosphorylation of insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) binding and phosphorylation, activation of a PI3K-dependent pathway, including key downstream regulators protein kinase B (Akt) and the Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160), ultimately promoting glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation to the plasma membrane ( Rockl et al. 2008 ; Stanford and Goodyear 2014 ). Despite normal GLUT4 levels, insulin fails to induce GLUT4 translocation in T2D ( Zierath et al. 2000 ). However, exercise activates a downstream insulin-signaling pathway at AS160 and TBC1 domain family member 1 (TBC1D1) ( Deshmukh et al. 2006 ; Maarbjerg et al. 2011 ), facilitating GLUT4 expression translocation to the plasma membrane independent of the insulin receptor. We contend that exercise could be considered as a very powerful tool to primarily attenuate the T2D pandemic.

Complex Biology of T2D Interactions with the Complex Biology of Exercise

An important consideration from the above is that T2D is such a genetically complex disease that a single gene has not been proven to be sufficiently causal to be effective, at this stage in time, to be a successful target for pharmacological treatment. The expectation for a single molecule target has been met for infectious diseases, which are often monogenic diseases. For example, a vaccine against smallpox was highly successful. Edward Jenner in 1796 produced the first successful vaccine. An important fact is that exercise is genetically complex. The literature allows us to speculate that exercise is at least as genetically complex as the approximately 75 genes associated with T2D ( Kwak and Park 2016 ). An example indicating that exercise is complex biology follows. RNA sequencing analysis of all 119 vastus lateralis muscle biopsies found that endurance training for 4 days/wk for 12 wk produced the differential expression of 3404 putative isoforms, belonging to 2624 different genes, many associated with oxidative ATP production in 23 women and men aged 29 yr old ( Lindholm et al. 2016 ). Our notion is that over 2600 genes suggests complex biology.

A “Case-Type” Study of the Molecular Underpinnings of Exercise, Mitochondria, and T2D Interactions

A PubMed search for the terms “diabetes mitochondria exercise molecular” elicited 74 papers. We arbitrarily selected some of the most recent 50 (spanning from mid-2014 into January 2017), with the assumption they would be representative of any other papers that we did not find in our search. Papers fell into our two arbitrary categories of single gene studies versus “omic”-type studies. First, subcategories of studies that develop themes will be arbitrarily presented.

Recent Studies Show Single Gene Manipulation Alters Mitochondrial Level and Running Performance

Numerous reports in the past couple of years observed that single gene manipulations increase mitochondrial gene expression and activity, which was also associated with increased exercise performance/capacity. A few of these are presented below:

Irisin was shown to increase oxidative metabolism in myocytes and increase PGC-1α mRNA and protein ( Vaughan et al. 2014 ), which extends the first observation made earlier in adipose tissue by Spiegelman ( Bostrom et al. 2012 ).
Patients with impaired glucose tolerance underwent low-intensity exercise training. Patients whose mitochondrial markers increased to levels that were measured in a separate cohort of nonexercised healthy individuals recovered normal glucose tolerance ( Osler et al. 2015 ). In opposition, those patients whose mitochondria markers did not improve, remained with impaired glucose tolerance.
In 2003, muscle PGC-1α mRNA was shown to be induced by endurance-exercise training in human skeletal muscle ( Short et al. 2003 ). PGC-1α was shown to have multiple isoforms ( Lin et al. 2002 ). After a 60-min cycling bout, human vastus lateralis biopsies were taken from both sexes in their mid-20s. Additional biopsies were taken 30 min, and at 2, 6, and 24 hr postexercise. At 30 min postexercise, PGC-1α-ex1b mRNA and PGC-1α mRNA increased 468- and 2.4-fold, respectively, whereas PGC-1α-ex1b protein and PGC-1α protein increased 3.1-fold and no change, respectively. Gidlund et al. (2015 ) interprets the above data as implying PGC-1α-ex1b could be responsible for other changes that have previously been recorded before the increase in total PGC-1α postexercise.
Mice with knockout of the kinin B1 receptor gene had higher mitochondrial DNA quantification and of mRNA levels of genes related to mitochondrial biogenesis in soleus and gastrocnemius muscles and had higher exercise times to exhaustion, but did not have higher VO 2max ( Reis et al. 2015 ).
Mice do not normally express cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), which is a lipid transfer protein that shuttles lipids between serum lipoproteins and tissues. Overexpression of CETP in mice after 6 wk on a high-fat diet increased treadmill running duration and distance, mitochondrial oxidation of glutamate/malate, but not palmitoylcarnitine oxidation, and doubled PGC-1α mRNA concentration ( Cappel et al. 2015 ).
The myokine musclin is a peptide secreted from exercising muscle during treadmill running. Removal of musclin release during running results in lowered VO 2max , lower skeletal muscle mitochondrial content and respiratory complex protein expression, and reduced exercise tolerance ( Subbotina et al. 2015 ).
Lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB), which produces pyruvate from lactate, was overexpressed in mouse skeletal muscle. Increases in markers of skeletal muscle mitochondria were associated with increased running distance in a progressive speed test, and increased peak VO 2 ( Liang et al. 2016 ).
Another example of endurance-type exercise adaptations is the 2016 paper that transcription factor EB (TFEB) regulates metabolic flexibility in skeletal muscle independent of PGC-1α during endurance-type exercise ( Mansueto et al. 2017 ). Lack of metabolic flexibility, termed “metabolic inflexibility,” is important because it is common in T2D. One definition of metabolic inflexibility is its inability to rapidly switch between glucose and fatty acid substrates for ATP production when nutrient availability changes from high blood glucose levels immediately after a meal to decreasing below 100 mg/dl when not eating for hours after a meal. A clinical consequence of T2D-induced metabolic inflexibility is prolonged periods of hyperglycemia, because skeletal muscle is more insulin insensitive in T2D. In contrast, after sufficient endurance exercise, skeletal muscle increases its insulin sensitivity by a second pathway that is independent of proximal postreceptor insulin signaling (see Stephenson et al. 2014 for further discussion).

Studies Showing that Manipulation of One Signaling Molecule Does Not Alter Expression of All Genes with Mitochondrial Functions Found in Skeletal Muscles of Wild-Type Animals to Exercise Training

A 2010 review article ( Lira et al. 2010 ) concludes from gene-deletion studies that p38γ MAPK/PGC-1α signaling controls mitochondrial biogenesis’ adaptation to endurance exercise in skeletal muscle. Two studies do not completely agree with the conclusion in the review article. The Pilegaard laboratory published a 2008 study ( Leick et al. 2008 ) that did not confirm their hypothesis that PGC-1α was required for every metabolic protein adaptive increase after endurance-exercise training by skeletal muscle. They reported that PGC-1α was not required for endurance-training-induced increases in ALAS1, COXI, and cytochrome c expression ( Leick et al. 2008 ). Their interpretation, at that time, was that molecules other than PGC-1α can exert exercise-induced mitochondrial adaptations. A second study published in 2012 rendered a similar verdict. A 12-day program of endurance training led to the middle portion of the gastrocnemius muscle demonstrating a similar 60% increase in mitochondrial density in both wild-type and PGC-1α muscle-specific knockout mice (Myo-PGC-1αKO) ( Rowe et al. 2012 ). The paper concludes that PGC-1α is dispensable for endurance-exercise’s induction of skeletal muscle mitochondrial adaptations.

Exercise signaling targets have actions that are independent of PGC-1α, which is specific to endurance exercise. In 2002, two groups identified PGC-1β, a transcriptional coactivator closely related to PGC-1α ( Kressler et al. 2002 ; Lin et al. 2002 ). Later in 2012, the PGC-1α4 variant of PGC-1α was found to induce skeletal muscle hypertrophy and strength ( Ruas et al. 2012 ). The importance of the finding of a PGC-1α variant is that it partially explains the phenotypic variation for differing types of exercise. Since the 1970s ( Holloszy and Booth 1976 ), it has been appreciated that the biochemical and anatomical observations between endurance and resistance differed. For example, Holloszy and Booth (1976) noted in 1976 that, whereas endurance-type exercise markedly increased skeletal muscle mitochondrial density with very minor increases in muscle fiber diameter, strength-type exercise, in contrast, increased muscle fiber diameter without increases in skeletal muscle mitochondrial density. Taken together, a drug specific for PGC-1α will not likely mimic separate physical training for endurance, strength/resistance, and coordination types of exercise in the same subject. Thus, the common usage of the term exercise capacity is a misnomer because endurance training and resistance training were shown to have different exercise capacity phenotypes very long ago.

In a 2015 Diabetes paper ( Wong et al. 2015 ), Muoio’s laboratory concluded that changes in glucose tolerance and total body fat depended upon how much energy is expended in contracting muscle rather than muscle mitochondrial content or substrate selection. A finding to support the previous sentence was the glucose tolerance tests (GTTs). MCK-PGC-1α mice and their nontransgenic (NT) littermates were not different in GTT, with both being the most glucose intolerant after 10 wk of high-fat feeding. Adding 10 wk of voluntary wheel running to the two high-fat-feed groups during the next 10-wk period (weeks 11–20 of the experiment) lowered the glucose intolerance, and then during weeks 21–30 of the experiment, glucose intolerance was further lowered by adding 25% caloric restriction with the high-fat food and running during the final 10 wk. The percentage weight lost after 30 wk of high-fat feeding was positively related to greater running distances. No single front-runner gene candidate could be identified by principle component analysis. Taken together, the paper suggests “doubts” that pharmacological exercise mimetics that increase muscle oxidative capacity will be effective antiobesity and/or antidiabetic agents. Rather, Muoio and investigators suggest energy expenditure by muscle contraction induces localized shifts in energy balance inside the muscle fiber, which then initiates a broad network of metabolic intermediates regulating nutrient sensing and insulin action. A further discussion of complex biology produced by polygenicity continues next.

POLYGENICITY OF EXERCISE LEADS TO COMPLEX MULTISYSTEM RESPONSES TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES

Multiples tissues, organs, and systems are influenced by physical activity, or the lack thereof ( Table 2 ).

Worsening of maximal functioning in selected major organ/tissue/systems that are caused by the lack of physical activity with growth, maturation, and aging

The higher their maximal function is before the end of each item’s maturation, the longer chances are that the quality of life will remain optimal. The breadth of the list implies that a single molecular target will not substitute for appropriate daily physical activity to prevent the loss of all listed items.

To present one extreme, that most will agree, one molecule will not describe the 1000s of molecules adapting to aerobic, resistance, and coordination exercise training. On the opposite extreme, many could likely agree that usage of the various “omics” underlying all adaptations to physical activity will differ (i.e., not be identical in most aspects) among the next list: various cell types within a tissue/organ, tissues/organs, and various intensities of physical activity (i.e., the thresholds among gene responses for health benefits will differ because of the presence of responders and nonresponders, or protein isoform type); during various types cycling (circadian or menstrual); postprandial versus fasting between meals; male and female; child, adult, and the elderly; trained and untrained; aerobic- and resistance-exercise types; and so forth. Others have repetitively written that only ∼59% of the risk reduction for all forms of CVD have been shown to be caused by effects through traditional factors ( Mora et al. 2007 ; Joyner and Green 2009 ). Thus, we pose the next question: what is the identity of all molecules in the yet-to-be-discovered gap between our knowledge of single gene functions and the totality of personalized prescription of physical activity to maximize the period of life free of any chronic disease, termed health span?

While approaches using single-gene manipulations are valuable tools, research must also focus on integrating exercise-responsive molecules into networks that maintain or improve health. This process will reveal complex, multisystem, polygenic networking essential for the advancement of many goals pertaining to exercise physiology, such as tailoring exercise prescriptions and implementing personalized medicine. One example is the developing myokine network with auto-, para-, and endocrine molecules. The first myokine interleukin (IL)-6 began to be described as early as 1994 by the Pedersen laboratory ( Ullum et al. 1994 ), with a history of its development as the first exercise myokine recounted in 2007 ( Pedersen et al. 2007 ). Since their discovery, myokine action within and at a distance from their origins in skeletal muscle have been increasingly studied, as schematically illustrated by Schnyder and Handschin (2015) ( Fig. 2 ).

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Figure provides an illustration of myokine production by skeletal muscle for actions within or at a distance. Myokine release promotes a high degree of intertissue cross talk. CNTF, Ciliary neurotrophic factor; OSM, oncostatin M; IL, interleukin; BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor. (From Schnyder and Handschin 2015 ; reprinted, with permission, courtesy of PMC Open Access.)

Similarly, maximal aerobic exercise is accompanied by tremendous stress on many systems, yet whole-body homeostasis is remarkably maintained. For example, world-class endurance athletes can increase whole-body energy production well over 20-fold ( Joyner and Coyle 2008 ), whereas maintaining blood glucose concentrations at resting levels ( Wasserman 2009 ). Intuitively, such effort would require sophisticated interorgan cross talk and polygenic integration of numerous functions.

Exercise Provides Too Many Benefits to “Fit into a Single Pill”

Despite the well-known benefits of exercise, most adults and many children lead relatively sedentary lifestyles and are not active enough to achieve the health benefits of exercise ( Warburton et al. 2006 ; Fried 2016 ). Accelerometry measurements suggest that >90% of U.S. individuals >12 yr of age and ∼50% of children aged 6–11 yr old fail to meet U.S. Federal physical activity guidelines ( Troiano et al. 2008 ). Given this incredibly low compliance, the identification of genetic and/or orally active agents that mimic the effects of endurance exercise might have high appeal for a majority of sedentary individuals. This high appeal has led to recent identification/development of exercise “mimetics.” In 2009, we set criteria for proper usage of the term “exercise mimetic,” based upon its common usage ( Booth and Laye 2009 ). We gave the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of mimetic, “A synthetic compound that produces the same (or a very similar) effect as another (especially a naturally occurring) compound.” While many exercise “mimetics” activate signaling pathways commonly associated with muscle endurance, these agents have not completely mimicked all effects for all types of exercise. For example, the AMPK activator 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR), when given daily to rats over a 5-wk-period, did not increase maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2peak ) in the sedentary group of rats that were forced to run to VO 2peak on treadmills, as compared to sedentary rats receiving the vehicle ( Toedebusch et al. 2016 ). Thus, in our opinion, the published claim ( Narkar et al. 2008 ) that AICAR is an exercise mimetic is invalidated because it did not increase VO 2peak . While these agents may undoubtedly have specific health benefits, it is currently impractical to assume that all of the benefits of exercise can be replaced by “exercise mimetics.”

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Exercise is a powerful tool in the fight to prevent and treat numerous chronic diseases ( Table 1 ). Given its whole-body, health-promoting nature, the integrative responses to exercise should surely attract a great detail of interest as the notion of “exercise is medicine” continues to its integration into clinical settings.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors disclose no conflicts of interest. Partial funding for this project was obtained from grants awarded to G.N.R. (AHA 16PRE2715005).

Editors: Juleen R. Zierath, Michael J. Joyner, and John A. Hawley

Additional Perspectives on The Biology of Exercise available at www.perspectivesinmedicine.org

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Importance of Exercise Essay in English for Students
Conclusion of Importance of Exercise Essay. In order to live life healthily, it is essential to exercise for mental and physical development. Thus, exercise is important for the overall growth of a person. It is essential to maintain a balance between work, rest and activities. So, make sure to exercise daily. FAQ of Importance of Exercise Essay
Why is physical activity so important for health and well-being?
Here are some other benefits you may get with regular physical activity: Helps you quit smoking and stay tobacco-free. Boosts your energy level so you can get more done. Helps you manage stress and tension. Promotes a positive attitude and outlook. Helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
The Importance of Exercise for a Healthy Lifestyle
The benefits of exercise are vast and well-documented. Regular physical activity has been shown to improve physical health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and enhance mental well-being. While barriers to exercise such as lack of time and motivation exist, it is important to recognize that even small amounts of physical activity can have ...
Real-Life Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity
Physical activity can help: Reduce feelings of depression and stress, while improving your mood and overall emotional well-being. Increase your energy level. Improve sleep. Empower you to feel more in control. In addition, exercise and physical activity may possibly improve or maintain some aspects of cognitive function, such as your ability to ...
500+ Words Essay on Importance of Exercise
Importance of Exercise. Regular exercise increases our fitness level and physical stamina. It plays a crucial role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. It can help with blood lipid abnormalities, diabetes and obesity. Moreover, it can help to reduce blood pressure. Regular exercise substantially reduces the risk of dying of coronary ...
Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity
Check out these seven ways that exercise can lead to a happier, healthier you. 1. Exercise controls weight. Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help you keep off lost weight. When you take part in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn.
The benefits of exercise for your physical and mental health
Physical activity can help reduce anxiety, and this benefit can start right after a moderate or vigorous exercise session. Longer term, regular exercise can also help reduce the risk of depression ...
Benefits of Physical Activity
Benefits of Physical Activity. Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Adults who sit less and do any amount of ...
Essay on Exercise
Conclusion. Exercise is all-inclusive package that will enable you live almost a stress-free life, full of energy with improved self esteem and sound sleep not forgetting how you will be able to combat some diseases like hypertension and diabetes type II. During exercise, the body releases endorphins that restore peace and felicity.
Exercise and longevity: How to stay active for a long, healthy life
This research suggested that engaging in vigorous exercise for only 2 minutes a day could help slash the risk of death related to cancer or cardiovascular events. The researchers found that study ...
Physical Activity Is Good for the Mind and the Body
Physical activity has many well-established mental health benefits. These are published in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and include improved brain health and cognitive function (the ability to think, if you will), a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, and improved sleep and overall quality of life.
Importance Of Exercise Essay
Essay on Importance of Exercise - It is our responsibility to take care of our bodies and stay fit in order to live a long life. People believe that eating healthy foods is sufficient for the body, ignoring the benefits of exercise. Doctors always advise their patients to make time in their lives to exercise and improve their health.
Essay on Importance of Exercise 500+ Words
Conclusion of Essay on Importance of Exercise. In conclusion, exercise is not just a choice; it's a necessity for a healthy and fulfilling life. It offers a wide range of benefits, including improved physical health, better mental well-being, enhanced brain function, weight management, quality sleep, increased energy, and social connections.
Essay on Importance of Exercise
Speech on Importance of Exercise; 250 Words Essay on Importance of Exercise Introduction. Exercise is a fundamental aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is not just about physical fitness, but it also contributes to mental health, productivity, and overall quality of life.
Essay on Importance of Physical Exercise
500 Words Essay on Importance of Physical Exercise Introduction. Physical exercise, an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle, is often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of modern life. However, its importance cannot be overstated, especially in the context of a rapidly evolving society that is increasingly sedentary.
The Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity
Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor (similar to dyslipidemia and hypertension) for a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Exercise provides a clear health benefit, which serves in the primary and secondary prevention of these disease processes (the most important being a reduction in cardiovascular disease and premature death). The physiologic ...
Why Exercise Is More Important Than Weight Loss for a Longer Life
People typically lower their risks of heart disease and premature death far more by gaining fitness than by dropping weight. For better health and a longer life span, exercise is more important ...
The Importance of Exercise
Exercise improves both the strength and the efficiency of your cardiovascular system to get the oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. When your cardiovascular system works better everything seems easier and you have more energy for the fun stuff in life. Exercise improves muscle strength. Staying active keeps muscles strong and joints, tendons ...
Importance Of Exercise Essay For School Students In 800+ Words
As the development rate is much faster in the school students our height gets a major boost when we exercise. Our muscles start taking the required toned shape and make us stronger. Exercising also helps us look more attractive and perform all our tasks in a better way. The main benefit is the boost in the immune system.
Health Benefits of Exercise
The aim of this introduction is briefly to document facts that health benefits of physical activity predate its readers. In the 5th century BC, the ancient physician Hippocrates stated: "All parts of the body, if used in moderation and exercised in labors to which each is accustomed, become thereby healthy and well developed and age slowly; but if they are unused and left idle, they become ...

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