All these effects translate into reduced risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Exercise can also offer other benefits, including strengthened muscles, increased flexibility, and stronger bones, which can help ward off the bone-thinning condition called osteoporosis. Regular activity also promises mental-health benefits, like relieving stress and anxiety. It can help you sleep better and renew your energy. If exercise could be bottled, it would be a best-selling potion at the local pharmacy.
Activity is for everyone Virtually everyone can get health benefits from activity.
But every few years, surveys confirm the well-known fact that most people aren't active enough. Unfortunately, we pay for it. The American Heart Association attributes about 250,000 deaths a year in the U.S. about 12 percent of total deaths to lack of regular physical activity. We also rely heavily on modern, labor-saving devices cars, appliances, and power tools to spare us manual effort. But there's another reason why many people, especially the overweight, avoid activity.