Health Course

2. Exercise

You need to be physically fit to be able to meet the demands
and stresses of day-to-day life. Many people think of 'fitness' as
the ability to run a marathon, but it actually means being able
to do all the things you have to do each day and still having energy
left for family and relationships and feeling a sense of well-being
rather than constant fatigue.

Exercise has many other benefits, such as:

• Controlling your weight
• Managing stress
• Boosting your immune system
• Reducing your risk of heart disease
• Reducing your risk of cancer
• Perhaps even reducing your risk of premature death

Because the lifestyle of most people does not involve a lot of
physical activity, it is important that they include much-needed
regular exercise in their lifestyle. Older people generally get
less activity than those who work or go to school, so it's even
more important for them to have a regular exercise programme.
How to begin an enjoyable exercise programme that will benefit
your health is covered in chapter 4.