How exercise can improve your health

Stamina, flexibility and strength

If you want to stay in shape you need to improve your stamina, flexibility and strength equally. You can achive this through cardio and strength training. The main part of your training should focus on cardio training.

• Cardio training improves your circulation (or the interaction between heart, lungs, blood, vessels and muscle). As a result, your physical fitness will improve and your blood pressure and resting pulse will drop
• Strength training improves and maintains your muscle power and is also beneficial for tendons, joints and bones. It will enable you to avoid sports injuries and will prevent your muscle power from deteriorating, a condition otherwise related to old age.

Recommended period of exercise

The recommended period of exercise for adults is 30-60 minutes daily. Children should be physically active at least 60 minutes every day. All types of exercise count, including your daily 10-minute walk to the bus or the local shops. However, the more you exercise and the more you increase your pulse the better. 

Health benefits of exercise

Regular exercise has a number of well-documented health benefits, so if you exercise, you will:

• strengthen your heart and circulation
• prevent or reduce high blood pressure
• strengthen your tendons and joints
• improve your immune system
• reduce your risk of heart diseases
• reduce your development of type 2 diabetes
• reduce your risk of osteoporosis by strengthening your bones
• reduce symptoms of depression
• reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancer, and
• reduce your risk of obesity and overweight

You should exercise regularly throughout your life. The associated health benefits decrease 2-8 months after you stop exercising.