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ExercisePage 1 of 5
Next Benefits of Physical Activity and Exercise
Exercise for Strong Muscles, exercise for strong bones.
Exercise for Strong Muscles, exercise for strong bones.
Exercise in any form - mild, moderate or intense - is good for you and the benefits of physical activity include a reduced risk of disease and healthy heart.
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But when it comes to strengthening bones, the benefits of physical activity in milder forms may not be enough.
Thirty-eight men and 46 women, ages 55 to 75 years, all of whom were generally healthy but didn’t exercise regularly, were recruited to help determine the link between physical activity and bone strength.
Researchers concluded that neither overall aerobic fitness nor mild physical activity had a significant effect on bone density. Greater muscle strength, however, was associated with stronger bones.
Although some activity may be better than none at all for certain aspects of health, like heart health, the benefits of physical activity in milder forms may not be sufficient to hold off or attenuate the age-related decline in bone.
Regular physical activity, fitness, and exercise are critically important for the health and well being of people of all ages. Research has demonstrated that virtually all individuals can benefit from regular physical activity, whether they participate in vigorous exercise or some type of moderate health-enhancing physical activity. Even among frail and very old adults, mobility and functioning can be improved through physical activity. Therefore, physical fitness should be a priority for Americans of all ages.
In a 1993 study, 14 percent of all deaths in the United States were attributed to activity patterns and diet. Another study linked sedentary lifestyles to
23 percent of deaths from major chronic diseases.10 For example, physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of developing or dying from heart disease,
diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure. On average, people who are physically active outlive those who are inactive.
Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, most adults and many children lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle and are not active enough to
achieve these health benefits. A sedentary lifestyle is defined as engaging in no leisure-time physical activity (exercises, sports, physically active hobbies)
in a two-week period. Data from the National Health Interview Survey shows that in 1997-98 nearly four in 10 (38.3 percent) adults reported no participation in
leisure- time physical activity.
Approximately one-third of persons age 65 or older lead a sedentary lifestyle. Older women are generally less physically active than older men. Fifty-four
percent of men and 66 percent of women age 75 and older engage in no leisure-time physical activity.17 In general, African American older adults are less active
than white older adults. In the mid 1990's, 37 percent of white men age 75 and older reported no leisure-time physical activity, compared to 59 percent of African
American men age 75 and older; 47 percent of white women age 75 and older reported no leisure-time physical activity, compared to 60 percent of African American
women age 75 and older.
More than one-third of young people in grades 9-12 do not regularly engage in vigorous physical activity. Furthermore, 43 percent of students in grades 9-12
watch television more than two hours per day.19 Physical activity declines dramatically over the course of adolescence, and girls are significantly less likely
than boys to participate regularly in vigorous physical activity.
Economic Consequences of Inactivity
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