For thousands of years, physical activity has been associated with health. Today, science has confirmed the link, with overwhelming evidence that people who lead active lifestyles are less likely to die early, or to experience major illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer. In a nutshell, exercise will make you look great and feel brilliant!

Exercise Makes You Feel Good. It feels good to have a strong body that can do all the activities you enjoy - like running, jumping, and playing with your friends. But you may not know that exercising can actually put you in a better mood. When you exercise, your brain releases a chemical called endorphins which may make you feel happier. It’s just another reason why exercise is cool!

Regular exercise can strengthen your heart and lower blood pressure; this is proven to help prevent heart disease and strokes. You know that your heart is a muscle. It works hard, pumping blood every day of your life. You can help this important muscle get stronger by doing exercise. Regular exercise can help reduce blood pressure, as well as helping to reduce body fat which is linked to high blood pressure.It can help prevent and control non-insulin dependant diabetes by reducing your levels of body fat. It increases good cholesterol and decreases bad cholesterol. This improves the blood flow and increases the working capacity of your heart.

Regular amounts of exercise and resistance training helps preserve and increase muscle mass. This improves your body’s rate at which it burns calories, therefore helping to reduce body fat. When exercise is combined with a healthy diet, you can control your weight and prevent obesity; a major factor of many deaths and illnesses.

Regular exercise and strength training helps improve your muscle flexibility and endurance, this can help prevent back pain. It can help reduce stress, improve your mood and promote self-confidence. It is also thought that exercise is very likely to help prevent or reduce depression.If you haven’t exercised for some length of time it is wise to start with gentle activities, such as walking or biking at a steady pace; something that you feel comfortable with. You can take the stairs instead of the lift. Get off the bus a stop early and walk the rest of the way. Just 10 minutes of exercise twice a day can make a difference. Do things you enjoy. Pick something that you find fun e.g. swimming, rock climbing or cycling. Everyone is different so pick something that you enjoy. Try exercising with a friend, at a pace that still allows you to talk. Try exercising in beautiful scenery, such as on a beach or in a park. Maybe you could buy yourself some new exercise clothes that you like wearing and feel good in.