Why is Fitness Important?

Fitness4v2.jpg (jpg, 113.99 KB) [1]

Would you like to:

• Decrease your risk of disease?
• Feel better physically and mentally?
• Look better?
• Help avoid injuries?
• Keep doing activities you enjoy throughout your life?

Regular physical activity will help you do these things. Physical activity is essential to prevent and reduce risks of many diseases and improve physical and mental health.

Physical activity also keeps you in shape so you can enjoy leisure activities and safely perform work and home chores. It offers great mental and social benefits as well.

On the other hand, lack of physical activity is associated with increased risks of:

• Anxiety, stress, and feelings of depression
• Developing many preventable conditions, such as high blood pressure, coronary heart diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer, and obesity
• Dying prematurely

12 Important Reasons to Be Physically Active

1. Be healthier

2. Increase my chances of living longer

3. Feel better about myself

4. Have less chance of becoming depressed

5. Sleep better at night

6. Help me look good

7. Be in shape

8. Get around better

9. Have stronger muscles and bones

10. Help me stay at or get to a healthy weight

11. Be with friends or meet new people

12. Enjoy myself and have fun

Physical Activity Reduces Risk for Seven Conditions

Research indicates that exercise can reduce your risk of:

• Heart disease [2]
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Obesity
• Depression [3]
• Breast and colon cancer [4]

Fitness for Kids

Regular physical exercise is important for younger generations too, especially with the rise of obesity in children. Heart disease, type 2 diabetes, asthma, and social discrimination are just a few of the possible consequences of a childhood spent in front of the television or the internet. Check out Let's Move! [5] for nutrition [6] and fitness tips for children.