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We already know that exercise aids in weight loss, physical fitness, and bodybuilding, but are you aware of the numerous health benefits derived from exercise? Regardless of age, physical ability, or sex, it has been proven that regular exercise can help you prevent or manage high blood pressure, regulate cholesterol, and offers phenomenal improvement for heart disease, asthma, allergies, depression, insomnia, back pain, arthritis and numerous other health problems. Before reaching for that pill bottle to get relief from your symptoms, give exercise a try. It offers you the possibility of greater relief without medication, or with lower doses.

Before beginning any exercise program, it is advisable to discus it with your physician. He will help you to select the exercises best suited to your particular needs. Then choose your exercises based upon your life style and the things you enjoy doing.

ASTHMA and OTHER ALLERGIES
Regular exercise is beneficial for everyone, and may be particularly helpful for individuals with asthma and other allergic diseases. Though many people with asthma avoid exercise because they fear an asthma episode, a well-planned exercise program can improve their overall physical and emotional well-being and help them manage their asthma symptoms. An exercise program should be planned in consultation with an allergist-immunologist or other physician.

DEPRESSION
Exercise helps by increasing vigor, and decreasing anxiety, anger, fatigue, confusion, and mood disturbance. Depression and exercise research confirms that one of the best exercises to help depression is walking. Biking, jogging, swimming, and sporting activities such as racquetball, weight lifting, sprinting, softball, and football also have a positive effect upon depression.

HIGH CHOLESTEROL
Aerobic exercise such as walking, biking, or swimming for at least two hours per week performed in sessions lasting for more than half an hour each will have a positive effect on cholesterol by boosting your HDL (high-density lipoprotein-"good" cholesterol) while decreasing LDL (low-density lipoprotein-"bad" cholesterol).

INSOMNIA
Twenty minutes of steady moderate aerobic exercise in the morning works best for insomnia.

ARTHRITIS
Regular physical activity can keep the muscles around joints affected by arthritis strong, and may help control joint swelling and pain as well as decreasing bone loss. It also replenishes lubrication to the cartilage of the joint and reduces stiffness and the pain associated with it. Check with your physician in reference to which range of motion and stretching, muscle strengthening, and aerobic exercises are best suited to your condition.

BACK PAIN
There are no miracle cures for back pain, but you can make it easier to deal with by simply adding exercise to your daily routine. Exercise strengthens the muscles that support your back and improves flexibility. Fifteen minuets a day of low-impact aerobic exercises such as swimming, walking and bike riding, jogging, dance aerobics and step aerobics done two to three times a week will get you off to a good start at improving your condition. Working up to 30 to 40 minutes a day, 4 to 5 days per week may help you to exercise away your back pain.

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