by Michelle Wilkinson

Created on: July 03, 2009   Last Updated: August 10, 2009

Exercise can help you lead a longer life and improve your health if you are prepared to make it a regular feature of your life. If you exercise frequently and consistently, you not only benefit your physical health but also your mental health. Exercise can help you to maintain a healthy weight, and at this point in time, when so many people are struggling to control their weight and are developing obesity-related health problems, this is obviously an important reason to start getting more physical activity into your life. It might be tempting to spend all your free time sitting around the house, but it is clearly better for you, in the long run, to also set aside some time for exercise.

It is recommended that adults get at least half an hour of moderate exercise a day, five days a week, while children need at least an hour a day. It is a good idea to get young people into good exercise habits so that they can stick to them as adults without much upheaval to their lifestyle. Obviously if you're used to eating well and being physically active, you don't really question your habits because you don't need to. If, on the other hand, you have never really done any exercise and eat a poor diet, the effects will eventually catch up with you, as your weight increases and your health begins to suffer.

Exercise on a regular basis can boost your immune system, helping your body to fend off potential disease while also enabling it to cope more effectively when you do fall ill. Giving your heart a good workout can obviously help create a healthy heart, making it less likely that you succumb to heart disease or stroke, and it can reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can also help prevent the onset of diabetes. Exercise strengthens your bones and tones your muscles, and as you build strength and stamina, as well as improving your balance, you find that you are less prone to have a nasty fall, which can often happen in old age.

In order to live longer, you need to consider your mental well-being as well as your physical health, since depression can ultimately shorten your life. Most people want to lead a long, happy, healthy life, rather than simply living longer for the sake of it. If you have something to live for, it can get you through the hard times. Exercise can help improve your mood, as chemicals are released into your brain that give you a mental boost. You'll find that you are able to concentrate better and that you can cope with stress more effectively.

It seems that in some cases people would benefit more from taking up exercise than going to see their doctor simply to be prescribed some pills. If you want to keep in good health for longer, you need to consistently follow a healthy regime over a period of time, rather than waiting for a miracle "cure" for the ill health that generally accompanies the process of growing older.

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