What will regular moderate
activity do for your health?
Being a couch potato is particularly
bad for your health - inactive people are twice as likely
to die from heart disease, with physical inactivity ranking
second only to tobacco smoking as a risk factor for heart
disease.
But if you find time for just
half an hour of moderate exercise on all or most days of
your week, the health benefits start flowing in.
Regular moderate activity
reduces the risk of:
- Dying from heart disease.
- Developing some cancers, such as colon
cancer (evidence is starting to emerge that it may help
prevent breast cancer).
- Developing high blood pressure. It
helps reduce blood pressure in those who already have
high blood pressure.
- Developing diabetes.
- Stroke and bone disease (osteoporosis).
- Improved Energy Levels and Mood
Regular physical activity also
improves mood and helps relieve depression. On a daily
level, i t increases feelings of well-being and,
importantly for exhausted and harried working parents, moderate
activity can help increase energy levels .
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