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Being healthy used to mean not getting sick. But today, being healthy means much more. It means a higher state of fitness, which some people call "wellness". Wellness is an optimum state of health and well-being, which focuses on prevention rather than treatment. Living well means taking steps to prevent illness and to prolong and improve the quality of your life. Wellness also means balance among the physical, mental, social, intellectual and spiritual aspects of life.

While a balanced diet and lifestyle are essential to our wellness, exercise and physical fitness play a key role. In 1996, the U.S. Surgeon General’s office released its first-ever Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health. According to the report, numerous studies have shown that exercise is one of the most powerful things you can do to improve your health and wellness.

"Physical inactivity is one of the biggest public health problems in the U.S.," stated Steven N. Blair, P.E.D., Director of Research at the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research in Dallas and Senior Editor of the Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health. "It is clear that there are many health and functional benefits of participation in physical activity. Regular activity prevents the development of diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, diabetes and colon cancer. In addition, people who exercise, generally report enhanced moods, and older people can extend their function and preserve independence by staying active."

Discover the benefits of exercise for yourself. You’ll feel more relaxed and happier right away – even after your first workout. Within weeks, you’ll notice that you are less tired, feel stronger, have more endurance and can accomplish more each day.

There are four major components of physical fitness – cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition. Each plays an important role in improving the quality of your life. This guide will present training aspects of three of the components of physical fitness: aerobic training (to improve cardiovascular endurance, strength training (to improve muscular strength and endurance), and stretching (for greater flexibility).

Increased Lung and Heart Efficiency: Just 20 minutes, three times a week of regular aerobic exercise can improve your cardiovascular system and make your heart and more efficient. (1)

Lower Blood Pressure: Blood Pressure may be reduced by regular aerobic exercise, which may also lower your risk of heart disease. (2)

Efficient Weight Loss: By burning more calories, regular aerobic and resistance exercise help you achieve and maintain optimal body weight. Exercise also decreases fat stores and increases lean muscle tissue, enabling you to burn more calories, even while at rest! (3)

Strong Bones: Women who remain physically active into their later years are less likely to suffer from osteoporosis, which is a gradual weakening of the bones due to inactivity and insufficient calcium intake. Estrogen decrease at menopause is also a factor. Older women who begin a regular exercise program can slow down or, in some cases, reverse the effects of osteoporosis. (4)

Healthy Skin: Regular exercise increases blood flow to the skin and helps protect the skin from the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. (5)

Longer, Better Life: Recent studies show that exercise offsets some of the effects of the aging process. More importantly, exercise helps fight heart disease and other illnesses, thus improving the quality of your life. And greater endurance and strength may help you to live well longer. (1)

Enhanced Metal Performance and Cognitive Ability: Regular exercise helps keep you mentally sharp, allowing you to work more effectively while decreasing fatigue. People who exercise see improvements in reasoning, working memory, reaction time and vocabulary." (6)

Positive Outlook: If you exercise, you’ll tend to have more positive feelings about your health and careers and be better equipped to deal with everyday stress. (7)

Sexual Performance: Regular exercisers report fewer incidents of sexual dysfunction, increased sexual desire, and greater frequency. (8)

Better Self – Image: Regular exercise leads to improve self esteem. (9)

Restful Sleep: Those who exercise typically experience more continuous and restful sleep. (10)

Reduced Anxiety: Regular workouts can help reduce anxiety and even decrease mild to moderate
depression. (11)

Improved Intelligence: Improved circulation from regular exercise is believed to increase the IQ in older
people. (12)

Before beginning an exercise program, it is advised that you consult your personal physician. It is recommended that medical clearance be obtained, especially if you have a major risk factor for coronary disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, cigarette smoking, or a family history of heart disease.

If you haven’t exercised in a while, the first thing you need to expect is some mild soreness. This happens because muscles and ligaments are pushed to their current limits. Don’t push yourself too hard, and allow yourself enough recovery time ; the soreness will go away. Proper warm-up and cool-downs can also go a long way in eliminating soreness.

The most common mistake exercisers make is to overdo it, sometimes referred to as ‘overtraining’.If you experience moderate to severe soreness, especially around the joints, give yourself a few days rest, then start again at half the intensity.

Once your body adjusts, the good news is that you’ll feel terrific, and that will carry over into other parts of your life. Pretty soon you’ll find yourself looking forward to your workouts!

1) American College of Sports Medicine, "Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescriptions, 5th Edition,"
1995.

2) Porcari J.P.,Ward A., Morgan W., Mans M., Ebbeling C., Kline G., O’Hanley S., Rippe, J.M.: "The Effect Of Walking On State Anxiety Pressures," ACSM, 1988.

3) Rippe, J.M.: "The Exercise Exchange Program," 1992.

4) Goldberg, A.P. and Hogberg, J.M.: "The Handbook of the Biology of Aging, 3rd Edition," 1990.

5) Running And Fit News: "Environmental Nutrition," 1988. 6) American College of Sports Medicine, "Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescriptions, 5th Edition, " 1995.

7) American Health: "Taking Charge, The Happy Health Confidents, " 1987.

8) "The Physician and Sports Medicine, " 1992.

9) American Orthopedic Society For Sports Medicine: "Conference On Strength Training And The Prepubescent," 1988.

10) "Running and Fit News," 1988

11) "The Exercise Prescription For Depression And Anxiety," 1989.

12) Bortz W.: "We Live Too Short And Die Too Long," 1991.