But any exercise, no matter how modest, is helpful. They're fun too. Improved cardiovascular health. Your heart is a muscle and becomes stronger and more efficient with exercise. As you gain fitness, your resting heart rate will drop ten to twenty beats per minute and become a better pump, circulating more blood per beat.
Exercise lowers cholesterol and reduces blood pressure, too.
Reduced body fat and greater muscle mass. Endurance exercise burns calories at an impressive rate. For instance, a five mile run or walk burns about 500 calories, while a 20-mile bike ride at a moderate pace burns about 800. But the benefits don't stop when you get off your bike or take off your running shoes. Once exercise has revved up your metabolism, your body continues to burn calories at an increased rate.