Path to improved health

Adding exercise to your routine can positively affect your life.

Exercise can:

• Reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, and obesity.
• Keep joints, tendons, and ligaments flexible, which makes it easier to move around and decreases your chance of falling.
• Reduce some of the effects of aging, especially the discomfort of osteoarthritis.
• Contribute to mental well-being and help treat depression.
• Help relieve stress and anxiety.
• Increase energy and endurance.
• Improve sleep.
• Help maintain a normal weight by increasing your metabolism (the rate you burn calories).

Can anyone exercise?

Everyone can benefit from physical activity. For most people, it is possible to begin exercising on your own at a slow pace. If you have never exercised before, start with a 10-minute period of light exercise. A brisk walk every day is a good first exercise. Slowly increase how hard you exercise and for how long.

How much exercise do I need?

A good goal is to exercise 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes each time. However, most people need to start gradually. Start by exercising 2 or 3 times a week for 20 minutes at a time. Once you feel comfortable, slowly increase the amount of time and the number of days a week that you exercise.