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Moderate exercise can prevent disease. In the text it says, " Heart disease. Regular exercise can help improve your heart health. Recent studies have shown that interval training is often tolerated well in people with heart disease, and it can produce significant benefits." This shows that exercise is not only good for social, mental, and physical benefits but it's good for preventing diseases. By exercising it helps your heart, and can produce good benefits.

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Exercise and chronic disease: Get the facts

If you have a chronic condition, you might have questions about exercising. How often can you exercise? Which exercises are safe? Understand the basics about exercise and chronic disease.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
If you have a chronic disease - such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, or back or joint pain - exercise can have important health benefits. However, it's important to talk to your doctor before starting an exercise routine. He or she might have advice on what exercises are safe and any precautions you might need to take while exercising.

Find out what you need to know about exercise and chronic disease.

How can exercise improve a chronic condition?

If you have a chronic condition, regular exercise can help you manage symptoms and improve your health.

Aerobic exercise can help improve your heart health and endurance and aid in weight loss. High-intensity interval training is generally safe and effective for most people and can take less time. In high-intensity interval training, you alternate exercising at high levels of intensity and exercising at a less intense level for short periods of time. Even activities such as walking at higher intensities count.

Strength training can improve muscle strength and endurance, make it easier to do daily activities, slow disease-related declines in muscle strength, and provide stability to joints.

Flexibility exercises may help you to have optimal range of motion about your joints, so they can function best, and stability exercises may help reduce the risk of falls.

For example:

Heart disease. Regular exercise can help improve your heart health. Recent studies have shown that interval training is often tolerated well in people with heart disease, and it can produce significant benefits.

For people with high blood pressure, exercise can lower your risk of dying of heart disease and lower the risk of heart disease progressing.

Diabetes. Regular exercise can help insulin more effectively lower your blood sugar level. Physical activity can also help you control your weight and boost your energy. If you have type 2 diabetes, exercise can lower your risk of dying of heart disease.

Asthma. Often, exercise can help control the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.

Back pain. Regular low-impact aerobic activities can increase strength and endurance in your back and improve muscle function. Abdominal and back muscle exercises (core-strengthening exercises) may help reduce symptoms by strengthening the muscles around your spine.

Arthritis. Exercise can reduce pain, help maintain muscle strength in affected joints and reduce joint stiffness. It can also improve physical function and quality of life for people who have arthritis.

Cancer. Exercise can improve the quality of life for people who've had cancer, and it can also improve their fitness. Exercise can also lower the risk of dying from breast, colorectal and prostate cancer.

Dementia. Exercise can improve cognition in people with dementia, and people who are active on a regular basis are at less risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.

What exercises are safe?

Your doctor might recommend specific exercises to reduce pain or build strength. Depending on your condition, you might also need to avoid certain exercises altogether or during flare-ups. In some cases, you might need to consult a physical or occupational therapist before starting to exercise.

If you have low back pain, for example, you might choose low-impact aerobic activities, such as walking and swimming. These types of activities won't strain or jolt your back.

If you have exercise-induced asthma, be sure to keep an inhaler handy while you exercise.

If you have arthritis, the exercises that are best for you will depend on the type of arthritis and which joints are involved. Work with your doctor or a physical therapist to create an exercise plan that will give you the most benefit with the least aggravation on your joints.

How often, how much and at what intensity can I safely exercise?

Before starting an exercise routine, it's important to talk to your doctor about how long your exercise sessions can be and what level of intensity is safe for you.

In general, try to accumulate about 30 minutes of physical activity a day at least five days a week. For example, try walking briskly for about 30 minutes most days of the week. You can even break physical activity up into short chunks of time spread out through the day. Any activity is better than none at all.

If you're not able to do this much activity, do as much as you can. Even an hour a week of physical activity can have health benefits. Start with moving more and sitting less, and work your way up to moving more each day.

If you haven't been active for a while, start slowly and build up gradually. Ask your doctor what kind of exercise goals you can safely set for yourself as you progress.

Do I need to take special steps before getting started?

Depending on your condition, your doctor might recommend certain precautions before exercising.

If you have diabetes, for example, keep in mind that physical activity lowers blood sugar. Check your blood sugar level before any activity. If you take insulin or diabetes medications that lower blood sugar, you might need to eat a snack before exercising to help prevent low blood sugar.

If you have arthritis, consider taking a warm shower before you exercise. Heat can relax your joints and muscles and relieve any pain you might have before you begin. Also, be sure to choose shoes that provide shock absorption and stability during exercise.

What kind of discomfort can I expect?

Talk to your doctor about what kind of discomfort you might expect during or after exercise, as well as any tips for minimizing your pain. Find out what type or degree of pain might be normal and what might be a sign of something more serious.

If you have heart disease, for example, signs or symptoms that you should stop exercising include dizziness, unusual shortness of breath, chest pain or an irregular heartbeat.

What else do I need to know?

Starting a regular exercise routine can be tough.

To help you stick with your routine, consider exercising with a friend. You might also ask your doctor to recommend an exercise program for people who have your condition, perhaps through a local hospital, clinic or health club.

To stay motivated, choose activities that are fun, set realistic goals and celebrate your progress.

Share any concerns you might have about your exercise program - from getting started to keeping it up - with your doctor.

Show references

See more In-depth

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What you need to know about exercise and chronic disease

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If you have a chronic condition, you might have questions about exercising. How often can you exercise? Which exercises are safe? Understand the basics about exercise and chronic disease. By Mayo Clinic Staff If you have a chronic disease - such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, or back or joint pain - exercise can have important health benefits.

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On the lacrosse field, teamwork is what makes the dream work. Lacrosse teams whose players learn to complement each other have the best shot of becoming winners both on and off the field.

How Lacrosse Teams Benefit from Working Together

Teamwork is a key component of successful teams in every sport at every level.

"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team," Phil Jackson, who won 11 championships as an NBA head coach, once said.

In lacrosse as in basketball, teamwork is a major reason why squads stay in the win column. Lacrosse teams that work well together also enjoy many other benefits.

Better Communication

From defensive shifts to man-ball, communication plays a key role in the game of lacrosse. It helps players cover a large field more quickly and efficiently. By being vocal, lacrosse teams can gain an advantage over the competition.

And, those teams' athletes are more likely to socialize better off the field.

Stronger Relationships

One of the great things about youth lacrosse is that it offers the opportunity for players to socialize with others who enjoy similar interests. Through a shared love of lacrosse, lifelong bonds are often formed.

Since it's likely some kids may not know each other at the start of the season, team building exercises are a popular strategy for forming stronger relationships.

Encourage players to interview each other.

Watch a professional game as a team.

Play a different sport together.

Have a team social outing, like going to the movies.

Activities like these are a great way to enhance the lacrosse experience.

Increased Team Commitment

The value of the team is an important life lesson student-athletes learn from playing lacrosse.

Lacrosse teams that play collaboratively encourage everyone's participation. Suddenly, practices and games become more fun for the whole team and the coaching staff as well.

Ultimately, teamwork makes everyone a winner.

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Youth Lacrosse Teams Always Win when there's Teamwork

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On the lacrosse field, teamwork is what makes the dream work. Lacrosse teams whose players learn to complement each other have the best shot of becoming winners both on and off the field. Teamwork is a key component of successful teams in every sport at every level.

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Exercise can bring you friends. In the text the writer states, "If their preferred physical activity is organized sports, the team aspect may bring teenagers many new friends." This shows that if you do a team sport you can make friends with your team mates and socialize with them.They may become one of your best friend or even a second family.

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According to the experts, there are many social benefits of physical activity for teens. Everyone knows the health benefits, such as weight control, lowered blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health, and because of that, the social benefits tend to take a back seat.

The Social Benefits of Physical Activity for Teens

When it comes to keeping fit, some teens want to know what's in it for them. While many teenagers will exercise for the physical value, not all teenagers enjoy sports or working out. These teenagers might appreciate knowing they can reap other advantages from exercise, especially those which will help them socially.

Related Articles

Exercise Improves Self-Image

Even if their friends and family think they look fine, teens often have a very poor self-image. Physical activity helps with more than just weight control, clothes size and muscle tone. As the authors at Helpguide.org suggest, when exercise becomes a way of life, it can bolster a flagging sense of self-worth and make a teenager feel strong and health-conscious. In fact, NPR reports researchers found there was a clear and defined link between organized sports and happiness.

Exercise Increases Self-Esteem and Confidence

As Mentalheath.net explains, self-esteem refers to a person's ideas about her worth and importance to others. It is hard to be comfortable in a group or to stand your ground socially if you are struggling with doubts about your value. Self-esteem and self-confidence can sometimes be elusive emotions. However, Psychology Today, referencing several studies, reports that physical activity has a profoundly positive effect on both self-esteem and confidence.

Exercise Reduces Stress and Anxiety

These days, teens are more stressed than ever with so many demands on their time and so much pressure from different sources. It is difficult to feel particularly social when weighed down by stress. However, almost any exercise can help reduce stress. Any physical activity will release endorphins, the brain's natural feel-good chemical, which results in a great, natural sense of well-being. Author Kirsten Weir writes about what the American Psychological Association (APA) terms the "Exercise Effect" and reports that Scientist Jasper Smits from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas has suggested that the byproducts of exercise, such as increased heart rate and sweat production, are similar to what the body undergoes when subjected to anxiety. Smits reasons that if exercise helps regulate these systems as part of a consistent regime, they should stay regulated even during times of heightened anxiety.

Exercise Helps You Make Friends

Many forms of physical activity can be helpful for teens looking to meet new people. If their preferred physical activity is organized sports, the team aspect may bring teenagers many new friends. Yet, even if teenagers are participating in an individual activity, such as rollerblading or hiking, there may be other teens out there to share the experience with. The National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) credits the friendships made through sports as being some of the most unique and meaningful.

Exercise Improves Academic Skills

A lesser-known benefit of regular exercise is the claim that it might just make you smarter. When studies are going well and grades are improving, teens have more time to engage with their peers and enjoy an eclectic social life. There is a strong link between physical activity and academic performance at school. Researchers from the UK who analyzed a sample of five thousand children found that a moderate to high level of exercise correlated favorably with better academic performance and exam results.

Teamwork and Cooperation

It may seem obvious, but sports and games, as Play For Change points out, have the power to increase children and teenagers' social skills including the ability to cooperate with others, work as a team, and problem solve. Most team sports teach leadership skills as well as team building skills. This high level of cooperation fosters great communication skills and allows young people to develop confidence in their ability to interact with others.

Exercise Deters Depression

Even though socializing and exercise might be the last things on your mind when you are feeling down, it seems that physical activity can be a powerful deterrent to sadness and depression. This is also part of what the APA terms the "exercise effect," referenced above. Not only does exercise improve your mood almost immediately, but studies have shown that it can help to alleviate long-term depression too.

Exercise Helps You Sleep

Lack of sleep makes a person irritable and disinclined to socialize. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes guidelines for how much sleep a person should optimally have, dependent on age. It suggests that teenagers should aim for eight to ten hours a night. However, some teens, even when they have the time to achieve this, are finding sleep hard to come by. Anxiety over exams, friends and extracurricular activities (to name but a few issues) are preventing many teenagers from gaining the sleep they need. The National Sleep Foundation points out that studies suggest moderate exercise reduces the time it takes for a person to fall asleep, as well as increases the time during which a person stays sleeping.

Exercise Is an Alternative to Negative Behavior

Behaviors such as autism and ADHD might be a deterrent to a teen's ability to fit well into a group of peers. Healthline reports that issues such as ADHD seem to be increasing and most parents and teenagers would like to know there were alternatives to drugs for those affected. Luckily, a recent study reported by CBS News reveals that exercise can eliminate some of the behavioral issues demonstrated by children with ADHD and even autism. Daniel Coury MD points out that the endorphins and dopamine released during exercise improve the brain's overall functioning powers.

What Type of Physical Activity Should Teens Be Engaging In?

Some types of sports, games, or exercises may be more appealing to teenagers. Just about any type of physical activity is beneficial. While team sports do more easily foster friendships, it is important for a teenager to pick an exercise that he or she likes. Studies suggest that only one in three children are active each day. If a teenager finds a sport or exercise he or she enjoys, it is more likely that the teen will retain the habit and keep exercising throughout his or her life. Fortunately for those with busy schedules, the Guardian reports that exercising once or twice at the weekend is almost as good for your health as exercising more often throughout the week.

Moderate Physical Activity

Walking two miles

Swimming laps for twenty minutes

Cycling four miles

Vigorous Physical Activity

Dancing for thirty minutes

Playing Tennis for thirty minutes

Playing a game of soccer, football, or basketball for thirty minutes

Check out the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Guide to Physical Activity for some sometimes surprising ideas about other activities which might work for you.

How Can Physical Activity Benefit Your Social Health?

Hopefully, teenagers will see that they do not have to be fanatics to reap the benefits, both social and physical, of keeping active. Even exercising once a week is useful. The advantages of keeping fit are widely documented and there are so many sports and activities teenagers can choose from to achieve their personal goals. Exercise should be a choice for the mentally conscious as well as the physically conscious. It is a crucial part of a well balanced life.

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Social Benefits of Physical Activity for Teens | LoveToKnow

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According to the experts, there are many social benefits of physical activity for teens. Everyone knows the health benefits, such as weight control, lowered blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health, and because of that, the social benefits tend to take a back seat.

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Your body needs exercise because it can decrease stress levels. Stress makes you more tense but it can change that. In the text it says, "Increasing your heart rate can actually reverse stress-induced brain damage by stimulating the production of neurohormones like norepinephrine, which not only improve cognition and mood but improve thinking clouded by stressful events." This means that you should exercise when you are stressed because it can help change your overall mood and you get your mind of things.

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Setting the Stage (by Example)

Dr. Shawna Charles, who received a PhD in Psychology from Walden University, put her love of psychology into action by opening a Los Angeles boxing gym to provide people with the help they need, including fitness, an ear to listen to their problems, and a connection to vital social services. Dr. Charles, like many others in her field, understands the connection between good physical and mental health.

The Psychological Benefits of Exercise

Most of us know the many physical benefits of exercise: weight control, lower blood pressure, reduced risk of diabetes, and increased energy, just to name a few. But what about the psychological benefits of exercise? From easing symptoms of depression and anxiety to keeping your memory sharp, there's no shortage of mental benefits of exercise. Whether you need motivation to get to the gym or to just take a brisk walk, the five psychological benefits of physical activity below will have you tying up your shoe laces and heading out the door.

1. Help for depression and anxiety
Exercise is a scientifically proven mood booster, decreasing symptoms of both depression and anxiety. Physical activity kicks up endorphin levels, the body's famous "feel good" chemical produced by the brain and spinal cord that produces feelings of happiness and euphoria. Even just moderate exercise throughout the week can improve depression and anxiety, so much so that some doctors recommend trying out an exercise regimen for these conditions before turning to medication.

2. Decreased stress
Another mental benefit of exercise is reduced stress levels-something that can make us all happier. Increasing your heart rate can actually reverse stress-induced brain damage by stimulating the production of neurohormones like norepinephrine, which not only improve cognition and mood but improve thinking clouded by stressful events. Exercise also forces the body's central and sympathetic nervous systems to communicate with one another, improving the body's overall ability to respond to stress.

3. Increased self-esteem and self-confidence
From improving endurance to losing weight and increasing muscle tone, there's no shortage of physical achievements that come about from regular exercise. All those achievements can all add up to a whopping boost of self-esteem-and the confidence that comes with it. You may not set out for better-fitting clothes, a slimmer physique, and the ability to climb a hill without getting winded. Oftentimes it happens before you even realize it. It's just one of the many benefits of physical activity that boost your body, mind, and spirit.

4. Better sleep
If you have trouble getting a good night's sleep, exercise can help with that, too. Physical activity increases body temperature, which can have calming effects on the mind, leading to less sheep counting and more shuteye. Exercise also helps regulate your circadian rhythm, our bodies' built-in alarm clock that controls when we feel tired and when we feel alert. (Although improved sleep is a psychological benefit of exercise, sleep experts recommend not exercising close to bedtime.)

5. Brain boost
From building intelligence to strengthening memory, exercise boosts brainpower in a number of ways. Studies on mice and humans indicate that cardiovascular exercise creates new brain cells-a process called neurogenesis-and improve overall brain performance. It also prevents cognitive decline and memory loss by strengthening the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. Studies also prove that physical activity boosts creativity and mental energy. So if you're in need of inspiration, your big idea could be just a walk or jog away.

Fascinated by the mental benefits of exercise? Or how exercise can improve depression or anxiety? A bachelor's in psychology will give you the knowledge you need to help others by making meaningful contributions in the field of psychology.
Even if you work full time, a bachelor's in psychology is something you can achieve. Featuring a flexible, socially conscious learning environment, Walden University makes higher education possible in an online format that fits your busy life. Learn how you can help others with an online BS in Psychology from Walden.

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Exercise isn't just great for your body, it's great for your brain. Check out these 5 mental benefits of exercise.

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The Physical Benefit Of Exercise: In the text it states, "have stronger bones, muscles and joints and lower risk of developing osteoporosis." This means that a big Physical Benefit is getting your bones, muscles, and joints stronger so you do not break or tear any bones or muscles.

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Physical activity and health

can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several diseases like , and .

Physical activity and exercise can have immediate and long-term health benefits. Most importantly, regular activity can improve your quality of life.

A minimum of 30 minutes a day can allow you to enjoy these benefits.

Benefits of regular physical activity

If you are regularly physically active, you may:

lower the risk of and some

have stronger , and joints and lower risk of developing

recover better from periods of hospitalisation or bed rest

feel better - with more energy, a better , feel more relaxed and better.

A healthier state of mind

A number of studies have found that exercise helps . There are many views as to how exercise helps people with depression:

Exercise may block negative thoughts or distract you from daily worries.

Exercising with others provides an opportunity for increased social contact.

Increased fitness may lift your mood and improve your sleep patterns.

Exercise may also change levels of chemicals in your brain, such as serotonin, endorphins and stress hormones.

Aim for at least 30 minutes a day

To maintain health and reduce your risk of health problems, health professionals and researchers recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.

Physical activity guidelines

Doing any physical activity is better than doing none. If you currently do no physical activity, start by doing some, and gradually build up to the recommended amount.

Be active on most, preferably all, days every week.

Accumulate 150 to 300 minutes (2 ½ to 5 hours) of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes (1 ¼ to 2 ½ hours) of vigorous intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities, each week.

Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week.

Ways to increase physical activity

Increases in daily activity can come from small changes made throughout your day, such as or instead of using the car, getting off a tram, train or bus a stop earlier and walking the rest of the way, or walking the children to school.

See your doctor first

It is a good idea to see your doctor before starting your physical activity program if:

you are aged over 45 years

you often or have spells of severe

moderate physical activity makes you very breathless

you think you might have heart disease or you have heart problems

Tips and ideas for older people (65 years and older)

Four types of activity are needed to keep you healthy:

moderate activity - for your heart, lungs and blood vessels

strength activities - to help maintain bone strength

flexibility activities - to help you move more easily

balance activities - to improve your balance and help prevent falls.

Pre-exercise screening is used to identify people with medical conditions that may put them at a higher risk of experiencing a health problem during physical activity. It is a filter or 'safety net' to help decide if the potential benefits of exercise outweigh the risks for you.

Print a copy of the (PDF) and discuss it with your doctor, allied health or exercise professional.

Where to get help

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Just 30 minutes of moderate activity each day can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing certain conditions or diseases.