Exercise and Physical Fitness

On this page

Summary

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can help

Control your weight
Lower your risk of heart disease
Lower your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
Lower your risk of some cancers
Strengthen your bones and muscles
Improve your mental health and mood
Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you're an older adult
Increase your chances of living longer

Fitting regular exercise into your daily schedule may seem difficult at first. But even ten minutes at a time is fine. The key is to find the right exercise for you. It should be fun and should match your abilities.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

Be Active Your Way: A Guide for Adults (Department of Health and Human Services) - PDF
Eating and Exercise (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Get Active (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
Guide to Physical Activity (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
How Can I Keep Track of Physical Activity and Eating? (American Heart Association) - PDF
Physical Activity for Everyone (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Physical Activity Improves Quality of Life (American Heart Association)
Tips to Help You Get Active (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Why Should I Be Physically Active? (American Heart Association) - PDF
World Around You: Use What You Have to Stay Healthy and Fit (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - PDF

Latest News

Brisk Walk May Help Sidestep Heart Disease (01/10/2017, HealthDay)
Scans Hint At Running's Brain Benefits, Even When Young (01/09/2017, HealthDay)
'Weekend Warriors' Can Still Stretch Their Life Spans (01/09/2017, HealthDay)
More News on Exercise and Physical Fitness

Related Issues

Active at Any Size (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Battling Boredom in Your Workout (American Osteopathic Association)
Being Active: Calories Burned in One Hour (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Exercise for Your Bone Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
Exercise Habit (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Exercise Headaches (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Exercise Intensity: Get the Most from Your Workouts (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Exercise Tips for Travelers (National Institute on Aging)
Exercise: When to Check with Your Doctor First (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Finding Time for Fitness (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Fitness: Stay safe during hot-weather exercise (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Give Me an A for Activity! Motivating Others to Be Physically Active (National Institute on Aging)
Joining a Gym (Federal Trade Commission) Also in Spanish
Measuring Physical Activity Intensity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Measuring Your Fitness Level (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Opportunities Abound for Moving Around: Get Active, Wherever You Are (National Institutes of Health)
Overcoming Barriers to Physical Activity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Selecting and Effectively Using a Health/Fitness Facility (American College of Sports Medicine) - PDF
Target Heart Rates (American Heart Association)
Tips for Buying Exercise Equipment (Federal Trade Commission) Also in Spanish
Walking Shoes: Features and Fit (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Warm Up and Cool Down: Reduce Risk of Injury and Improve Athletic Performance (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
When Is the Best Time of Day to Work Out? (American Heart Association)

Specifics

Aerobic Exercise: Top 10 Reasons to Get Physical (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Core Exercises: Why You Should Strengthen Your Core Muscles (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Functional Fitness Training: Is it Right for You? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Interval Training (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Pilates: Build Strength in Your Core Muscles (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Strength Training: For Overall Fitness (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Stretching Safely and Effectively (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
The importance of stretching (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Walking...A Step in the Right Direction! (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Walking: How to Get Started and Stay Motivated (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Weight Training: Do's and Don'ts of Proper Technique (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
What Is Aerobic Dancing? (American Podiatric Medical Association, American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine)
Zumba: What is it? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Health Check Tools

Body Weight Planner (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
ChooseMyPlate.gov (Department of Agriculture)
Exercise Counts: How Many Calories Will Your Activity Burn? (American Cancer Society)
SuperTracker: My Foods. My Fitness. My Health. (Department of Agriculture)
Target Heart Rate Calculator (American Cancer Society)

Videos and Tutorials

Epinephrine and exercise (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Levels among U.S. Youth Aged 12-15 Years: United States, 1999-2004 and 2012 (National Center for Health Statistics)
CDC Vital Signs: More People Walk to Better Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Facts about Physical Activity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
FastStats: Exercise or Physical Activity (National Center for Health Statistics)
Measures of Muscular Strength in U.S. Children and Adolescents, 2012 (National Center for Health Statistics)
Physical Activity in U.S. Youth Aged 12-15 Years, 2012 (National Center for Health Statistics)
Trends in Adults Receiving a Recommendation for Exercise or Other Physical Activity from a Physician or Other Health Professional (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Exercise (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Physical Fitness (National Institutes of Health)

Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

ACSM Fit Society Page (American College of Sports Medicine)
Definitions of Health Terms: Fitness (National Library of Medicine)
Physical Activity: Glossary of Terms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Find an Expert

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish
President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition
Weight-Control Information Network (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Teenagers

Getting Exercise in College (Nemours Foundation)

Women

Physical Activity (Exercise) (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)

Patient Handouts

Are you getting too much exercise? (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Dance Your Way to Fitness (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Exercise clothing and shoes (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Exercise, lifestyle, and your bones (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Exercises to help prevent falls (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Exercising on a budget (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Give your heart a workout (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
How to avoid exercise injuries (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
How to avoid overheating during exercise (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
How to Take Your Heart Rate (Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF
Indoor fitness routine (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Learn to love exercise (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Make time to move (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Outdoor fitness routine (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Physical activity (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Working with a personal trainer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish