Exercise is important because it provides significant physical and mental health benefits. Regular physical activity helps prevent or manage many health problems, including:

1. Stroke
2. Metabolic syndrome
3. High blood pressure
4. Type 2 diabetes
5. Depression
6. Anxiety
7. Many types of cancer
8. Arthritis

Exercise is highly beneficial for mental health because it helps reduce stress hormones, providing a sense of relaxation and calm. It also serves as a distraction from negative thoughts and emotions, fostering a more positive mindset. Regular exercise boosts confidence and promotes a greater sense of self-worth, while also offering social support, which strengthens connections with others. Additionally, better physical health often leads to improved mental health, creating a positive feedback loop. Exercise acts as a buffer against stress and releases "feel-good" chemicals like endorphins and serotonin, lifting your mood. Over time, it improves both your mood and overall fitness, while also reducing the risk of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, and supporting their treatment.

• Improves the muscles’ ability to pull oxygen out of the blood, reducing the need for the heart to pump more blood to the muscles
• Reduces stress hormones that can put an extra burden on the heart
• Works like a beta blocker to slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure
• Increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and helps control triglycerides