Talk:Life Skills Development/Module One/Wellness and Health Care

Benefits of Regular Exercise
Regular exercise has many benefits. Regular exercise can bring you benefits ranging from cardiovascular fitness to enhancing your stress coping skills. Regular exercise also reduces the risk of chronic conditions including:
 * osteoporosis
 * osteoarthritis
 * cardiovascular disease
 * obesity
 * non-insulin dependent diabetes

Osteoporosis
This is a disease of bone in which involves the reduction of bone matter such as calcium and a variation in certain bone proteins. The result is a reduction in bone mass making it more susceptible to fractures. Menopausal and post menopausal women are particularly at risk. You can reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis by engaging in thirty minutes of weight-bearing exercises such as walking or jogging, three times a week. This increases bone density and flexibility while at the same time strengthening - the muscles in the legs and back, thus reducing the risk of falls.

Cardiovascular Disease
Regular exercise acts as a preventive measure against heart disease. Recent studies have shown that aerobic exercises such as swimming, brisk walking, or tennis can result in a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease. Dr Ralph Paffenbarger has shown in a study on over 10,000 Harvard male graduates conducted over a twenty year period that alumni who adopted a sedentary lifestyle had a 25% higher risk of dying from all causes and a 36% higher risk of dying from coronary heart disease.

High Cholesterol
High blood cholesterol is considered a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. High levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL)cholesterol increase the risk of coronary artery disease while high levels of High density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol reduces the risk. Intense exercise have been shown to increase the HDL cholesterol and decrease the LDLs. Research has show that even moderate exercise as brisk walking has increased the HDL and decreased the LDL.

Hypertension
Hypertension, commonly referred to as "high blood pressure", is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated. Hypertension has been associated with a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. Regular exercise is considered as one of the first steps in controlling blood pressure