- Nantucket Elementary School
- Physical Activity
Importance of Regular Physical Activity
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Regular physical activity is important for maintaining good health. Along with helping to maintain healthy weight, the benefits include increasing muscle strength, relieving stress, improving self-esteem, reducing high blood pressure, improving circulation, and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Exercise, playing sports and games, dancing, swimming, walking, jogging, and running are all good examples of ways to be physically active. For exercise to be beneficial, activities should increase the heart rate without becoming exhausting; activities like walking briskly, jogging, swimming, and biking. Also, it is important to enjoy what you are doing; you’ll be more likely to do it regularly. Vary activities so exercise will not become boring. For some people, exercising with a group or a friend will help with set up a regular Set a goal for 30 minutes a day; this may be divided into three 10-minute sessions.
Try these web-sites for more information on the benefits of physical activity and health.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/