A huge chunk of the American population lives a sedentary lifestyle. Aside from having a life with very little to no physical activity, our poor eating habits contribute to an increased mortality rate. Approximately 300,000 adults in the United States die because of inactivity paired with a poor diet[1].

A recent study showed that a sedentary lifestyle can just be as hazardous to one’s health as smoking. Physical inactivity has been proven to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Most Americans, although not completely sedentary, are not active enough to gain any health benefits from whatever activity they have. Here are some of the key statistics that correlate inactivity to certain diseases:
The probability of dying from cancer increases by 45% for men and 28% for women because of a lack of physical activity.
The chances of dying from respiratory ailments are 92% higher for men and 75% higher for women who do not participate in any form of physical activity.
The risk of dying from heart disease is 52% higher for men and 28% higher for women who lead sedentary lifestyles.[2]

It is important for everybody to keep in mind that exercise is a key to living a longer and healthier life. Physical activities such as exercise help get the entire body going. Understanding the different benefits of having an active lifestyle can help get you off the couch and on your feet exercising. Here are some of the reasons why exercising is beneficial to our health:

Exercising helps strengthen the heart muscles.
Frequent exercising makes for stronger cardiac muscles. A stronger set of cardiac muscles means more blood is pumped throughout the body. With more blood going around the body, more oxygen and nutrients are being delivered efficiently.

Exercising helps improve moods.
Exercising triggers endorphin release in the brain. Endorphin is a kind of neurotransmitter (chemical messenger in the brain) that produces a feeling of well-being.

Exercising helps lower the risks of getting chronic diseases.
Regular exercise helps decrease the probability or manage chronic diseases such as:
Cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular exercises increase the amount of high density lipoprotein (good cholesterol) and lower the low density lipoprotein amount (bad cholesterol). This helps a person limit his chances of developing heart attacks or strokes.
Osteoporosis. Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging.
Obesity. Physical activity helps to reduce body fat by building or preserving muscle mass and improving the body's ability to use calories. When physical activity is combined with proper nutrition, it can help control weight and prevent obesity, a major risk factor for many diseases.
Diabetes. Exercise helps reduce body fat, and it turn lowers down chances of developing non-insulin dependent diabetes.

A lot of health articles on exercise and fitness abound the World Wide Web. They are there to promote health awareness to people who are living a sedentary lifestyle and to remind them that something as little as 30 minutes of exercise and physical activity may end up giving you a longer and happier life.

The writer, Abbey Grace Yap, is an active advocate for health consciousness and disease awareness.If you find this article very informative, you can read more articles at Articles of Drugstoretm