Health Benefits of Exercise. Being active and getting exercise is something that is natural for human beings. Our distant ancestors, thousands of year ago, would have exercised every day as they built their homes looked for food.In the modern world many people - both young and old - get very little exercise because they travel by car and spend a lot of time sitting in front of the television or computers. But doctors have shown that exercise is very important for our well-being. Regular exercise improves fitness. This is the ability to perform an activity without getting unduly breathless. Exercise also improves our health and lessens the chances of us becoming ill.
Exercise has several effects on the body. First, it improves cardiovascular endurance or stamina. This is the ability of the heart to work efficiently over an extended period of time. Second, it improves muscular fitness and strength. Finaly, it improves the flexibility of the body. This is the ability of the joints between bones to be moved freely by the muscles.
Different exercises contribute different effects in terms of stamina, strength, and flexibility. For example, running and walking are good for stamina; weight training is good for strength; while gymnastics and yoga are good for flexibility. Exercise such as swimming and tennis is good for all three.
Weight Training
Weight Training involves lifting weights that strengthen the muscles without starining them. Here the muscles of the upper legs, back and shoulders are being worked on.
Tennis
Tennis includes all three element of fitness. Stamina is essential for a long match, strength is needed to serve and hit the ball, and flexibility is necessary to move the body effectively and safely around the court.
Running
As these runners pound around the track, they are improving their endurance. Regular running exercises the heart and makes it more efficient at its job. This means it actually works less to achieve the same result.
Swimming
Swimming like tennis, is a good all-around exercise. It exercises nearly all of the body's major muscle groups, develops muscle strength and endurance, improves posture and flexibility, and places great demands on the heart, thereby increasing stamina.
Gymnastics
Gymnasts have to be lithe, supple and flexible in order to perform like this young woman. They need both strength and stamina to control their skilled movements and achieve the graceful and extreme positions required in competition.