Is exercise beneficial for health?

Exercise Is Highly Beneficial for Health

Exercise is beneficial for many health outcomes, including but not limited to reduced mortality, improved quality of life, and prevention of disease progression. 1 Regular physical activity is one of the most powerful methods to lower the risk of all-cause mortality, help control multiple medical comorbidities, and improve overall quality of life. 1

Benefits of Exercise

Mortality and Disease Prevention

• Exercise reduces risk of all-cause mortality 1
• Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and coronary heart disease 1
• Improves blood pressure control in hypertension 1
• May reduce medication dependence for chronic conditions 1
• Maintains functional independence, especially in older adults 1

Quality of Life Improvements

• Enhances mental health and emotional well-being 1
• Reduces anxiety and stress 2
• Improves sleep quality 3
• Maintains homeostasis at organismal, tissue, cellular, and molecular levels 3

Disease-Specific Benefits

• Particularly beneficial for patients with osteoarthritis and axial spondyloarthritis 1
• Improves pain, function, and fatigue in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases 1
• Enhances insulin sensitivity and helps in glycemic control 2
• Reduces obesity risk 2

Exercise Recommendations

General Population

• Adults should perform 150-300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity 1, 4
• Include muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days per week 4
• Both aerobic and resistance exercise are beneficial for health outcomes 5
• "Move more and sit less" is beneficial for nearly everyone 4

For Specific Populations

• Older adults should do multicomponent physical activity that includes balance training, aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities 4
• People with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases should perform both aerobic and strengthening exercises aiming for at least moderate intensity 1
• For patients with hypertension, exercise is recommended as a cornerstone lifestyle therapy 1

Implementation Strategies

Starting Exercise

• Avoid physical inactivity; even small increases in activity provide benefits 1, 4
• For beginners, start with low-intensity activities and gradually progress 1
• Walking is an excellent starting exercise - easy to perform, safe, effective, and requires no equipment 2

Exercise Types

1. Aerobic exercise: Walking, cycling, swimming, dancing
2. Resistance training: Weight training, elastic bands, body weight exercises
3. Flexibility exercises: Stretching to improve joint and muscle mobility 2

Safety Considerations

• Exercise is safe for most people, including those with chronic conditions 1
• Group exercise provides slightly better outcomes than exercising alone 1
• For patients with genetic heart diseases, low to moderate intensity exercise is encouraged, while high-intensity exercise may carry risks 1

Common Pitfalls and Caveats

• Only 31% of persons aged 65-74 years regularly engage in moderate physical activity; this drops to 20% by age 75 1
• Less than 50% of older adults report that their physicians have recommended exercise 1
• Patients often don't benefit fully from exercise prescriptions due to vague or inappropriate instructions 1
• For patients with specific conditions like genetic heart diseases, a balanced approach is needed between encouraging beneficial exercise while avoiding high-risk activities 1
• Sedentary behavior is highly prevalent and contributes to health risks independently of exercise levels 1

Exercise is a powerful intervention for health maintenance and disease prevention. The evidence strongly supports that regular physical activity provides substantial benefits across multiple health domains, and healthcare providers should actively encourage appropriate exercise for all patients.