Write to Mandy Oaklander at mandy. By Mandy Oaklander and Heather Jones. Get our Health Newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest health and science news, plus answers to wellness questions and expert tips. Please enter a valid email address. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check here if you would like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies. You can unsubscribe at any time.
By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Related Stories. Muscle also use more energy than fat does, so building your muscles will help you burn more calories and maintain a healthy weight.
You don't have to lift weights to make your muscles and bones stronger. Different types of exercise strengthen different muscle groups, for example:. Strengthening the heart and other muscles isn't the only important goal of exercise. Exercise can also help the body stay flexible, meaning that your muscles and joints stretch and bend easily. Being flexible may also help improve a person's sports performance.
Some activities, like dance or martial arts, require great flexibility. But increased flexibility also can help people perform better at other sports, such as soccer or lacrosse.
Sports and activities that encourage flexibility are easy to find. Martial arts like karate, ballet, gymnastics , and yoga are good choices. Stretching after your workout will also help you improve your flexibility. One of the biggest reasons people drop an exercise program is lack of interest: If what you're doing isn't fun, it's hard to keep it up. The good news is there are tons of different sports and activities to try to see which one inspires you. When picking the right type of exercise, it can help to consider your workout personality.
For example, do you like to work out alone and on your own schedule? If so, solo sports like running, biking, or snowboarding could be for you. Or do you like the shared motivation and companionship that comes from being part of a team?
School sports, intramural leagues, club teams, and pick-up games are great ways to stay active with others. You also need to plan around practical considerations, such as whether your chosen activity is affordable and available to you. Activities like horseback riding may be harder for people who live in cities, for example.
You'll also want to think about how much time you can set aside for your sport. It's a good idea to talk to someone who understands the exercise, like a coach or fitness expert at a gym. He or she can get you started on a program that's right for you and your level of fitness. Getting to and staying at a healthy weight requires both regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan.
For more information about nutrition, physical activity, and weight loss, visit Healthy Weight. Heart disease and stroke are two of the leading causes of death in the United States. Following the recommendations and getting at least minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity can put you at a lower risk for these diseases.
You can reduce your risk even further with more physical activity. Regular physical activity can also lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels.
Regular physical activity can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is some combination of too much fat around the waist, high blood pressure, low High Density Lipoproteins HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, or high blood sugar. People start to see benefits at levels of physical activity below the recommended minutes a week.
Additional amounts of physical activity seem to lower risk even more. Already have type 2 diabetes? Regular physical activity can help you control your blood glucose levels. To find out more, visit Diabetes and Me. Being physically active lowers your risk for developing several commonly occurring cancers.
Research shows that adults who participate in greater amounts of physical activity have reduced risks of developing cancers of the:. Improve your quality of life. If you are a cancer survivor, research shows that getting regular physical activity not only helps give you a better quality of life, but also improves your physical fitness. Learn more about Physical Activity and Cancer. Doing aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening physical activity at a moderately-intense level can slow the loss of bone density that comes with age.
Physically active people have a lower risk of hip fracture than inactive people. Among older adults, physical activity also reduces the risk of falling and injuries from falls. Physical activity programs that include more than one type of physical activity are most successful at reducing falls and fall-related injuries.
Different types of physical activity include aerobic, muscle strengthening, and balance physical activities. Also, weight bearing activities such as running, brisk walking, jumping jacks and strength training produce a force on the bones. These activities that can help promote bone growth and bone strength and reduce the risk of fall-related injuries and fractures. Regular physical activity helps with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions affecting the joints.
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