10.2: Health Benefits of Physical Activity and Exercise
Why is it important to be physically active and build your fitness? What are the health benefits of physical activity and exercise?
Living an active lifestyle is one of the most important things people can do to improve their health. Physical activity is beneficially for everyone, regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, or current fitness level, and benefits can start accumulating with small amounts of, and immediately after doing, physical activity. Being active improves your health in numerous ways.
The Health Benefits of Physical Activity—Major Research Findings
- Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes.
- Some physical activity is better than none.
- For most health outcomes, additional benefits occur as the amount of physical activity increases through higher intensity, greater frequency, and/or longer duration.
- Substantial health benefits for adults occur with 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. Additional benefits occur with more physical activity.
- Both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity are beneficial.
- Health benefits occur for children and adolescents, young and middle-aged adults, older adults, and those in every studied racial and ethnic group.
- The health benefits of physical activity occur for people with chronic conditions or disabilities.
- The benefits of physical activity generally outweigh the risk of adverse outcomes or injury
Children and Adolescents
- Improved bone health (ages 3 through 17 years)
- Improved weight status (ages 3 through 17 years)
- Improved cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness (ages 6 through 17 years)
- Improved cardiometabolic health (ages 6 through 17 years)
- Improved cognition (ages 6 to 13 years)*
- Reduced risk of depression (ages 6 to 13 years)
Adults and Older Adults
- Lower risk of all-cause mortality
- Lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality
- Lower risk of cardiovascular disease (including heart disease and stroke)
- Lower risk of hypertension
- Lower risk of type 2 diabetes
- Lower risk of adverse blood lipid profile
- Lower risk of cancers of the bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, lung, and stomach
- Improved cognition*
- Reduced risk of dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease)
- Improved quality of life
- Reduced anxiety
- Reduced risk of depression
- Improved sleep
- Slowed or reduced weight gain
- Weight loss, particularly when combined with reduced calorie intake
- Prevention of weight regain following initial weight loss
- Improved bone health
- Improved physical function
- Lower risk of falls (older adults)
- Lower risk of fall-related injuries (older adults)