Benefits of doing exercise

Exercise produces physical fitness and healthy body. This includes muscular strength, endurance and flexibility.

Muscle Strength

Muscle strength refers to the amount of force a muscle can exert in a single effort. Strength training (also known as resistance training) can help improve muscular strength. Exercises like the bench press, leg press or bicep curl might be used to measure muscle strength; a strength training exercise that uses low weight and high reps can also help improve muscular endurance.

While strength training on its own typically does not lead to weight loss, its beneficial effects on body composition may make it easier to manage one's weight and ultimately reduce the risk of disease, by slowing the gain of fat—especially abdominal fat.

Another beneficial effect of strength training pertains to bone health and help fight osteoporosis. 

Endurance

Muscle Endurance

Muscle endurance refers to the ability of a muscle to perform a continuous effort without fatiguing. Cycling, step machines and sit up tests are often used to measure muscular endurance. 

Cardiovascular Endurance

Cardiovascular endurance refers to the ability of our heart and lungs to work together to fuel our body with oxygen. Aerobic exercises, like jogging, running, swimming, biking, kickboxing, jumping rope and stair climbing are examples of cardiovascular exercises that can keep our heart and blood vessels healthy. These exercises increase the ability of the respiratory and circulatory systems to deliver oxygen to working muscles. This can be achieved by exercising at 60-75% of maximal heart rate for 20 to 30 minutes. For these programs, some find simply walking already satisfactory. Others like swimming. Swimming often claimed to be the best exercise for it tends to use all muscle groups.

 

Flexibility

Flexibility refers to the ability of each joint to express its full range of motion.

Flexibility training or stretching exercise may help older adults preserve the range of motion they need to perform daily tasks and other physical activity.

Yoga and pilates can help improve overall flexibility.