Fitness Facts

Regular exercise can help you live longer and may reduce your risks for a host of diseases.
Recent studies show:

• Leisure-time physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of premature death, even after genetic disorders are taken into account (Journal of the American Medical Association).
• Improving fitness appears to help men live longer following a heart attack (The National Exercise and Heart Disease Project).
• Lifestyle physical activity, such as taking the stairs, gardening and walking instead of driving, is as effective as structured gym workouts in improving fitness (Journal of the American Medical Association).
• Even infrequent exercise helps postmenopausal women live longer (Journal of the American Medical Association).
   
  
  
  How do you know whether or not you're fit? That depends on lots of things, such as your age, overall health, family history, exercise routines and eating habits. Granted, you can't change all of these influences, but if you work on the ones you can do something about, your overall health is bound to improve. Here are some benefits of physical activity:
  
• Can help keep weight under control
• May help to improve blood cholesterol levels
• May help prevent or control high blood pressure
• Helps to prevent bone loss
• Increases muscle tone
• Boosts energy levels
• May help you manage stress and relieve tension

Getting Fit, Staying Fit

Fitness requires time and effort. That may be why it's so hard for many people to get started. It may also be the reason that some people start out strong, then fizzle out. Getting fit doesn't mean spending hours at the gym or running laps until you drop. Even if you can only fit in 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there, every little bit counts. To be successful, your fitness program must become a part of your daily life, just like working, cooking, bathing and eating. Let's get started!