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Exercise and Physical Fitness
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/exerciseandphysicalfitness.html

Exercise and Physical Fitness

On this page

Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here

Learn More

  • Related Issues
  • Specifics

See, Play and Learn

  • Health Check Tools
  • Videos and Tutorials
  • Test Your Knowledge

Research

  • Statistics and Research
  • Clinical Trials
  • Journal Articles

Resources

  • Reference Desk
  • Find an Expert

For You

  • Women
  • Patient Handouts

Summary

Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. It has many benefits, including improving your overall health and fitness, and reducing your risk for many chronic diseases. There are many different types of exercise; it is important that you pick the right types for you. Most people benefit from a combination of them:

  • Endurance, or aerobic, activities increase your breathing and heart rate. They keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy and improve your overall fitness. Examples include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, and biking.
  • Strength, or resistance training, exercises make your muscles stronger. Some examples are lifting weights and using a resistance band.
  • Balance exercises can make it easier to walk on uneven surfaces and help prevent falls. To improve your balance, try tai chi or exercises like standing on one leg.
  • Flexibility exercises stretch your muscles and can help your body stay limber. Yoga and doing various stretches can make you more flexible.

Fitting regular exercise into your daily schedule may seem difficult at first. But you can start slowly, and break your exercise time into chunks. Even doing ten minutes at a time is fine. You can work your way up to doing the recommended amount of exercise. How much exercise you need depends on your age and health.

Other things that you can do to make the most of your workouts include:

  • Choosing activities that work all the different parts of the body, including your core (muscles around your back, abdomen, and pelvis). Good core strength improves balance and stability and helps to prevent lower back injury.
  • Choosing activities that you enjoy. It's easier to make exercise a regular part of your life if you have fun doing it.
  • Exercising safely, with proper equipment, to prevent injuries. Also, listen to your body and don't overdo it.
  • Giving yourself goals. The goals should challenge you, but also be realistic. It's also helpful to reward yourself when you reach your goals. The rewards could be something big, like new workout gear, or something smaller, such as movie tickets.

Start Here

  • Eating and Exercise (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Fitness Basics (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Get Active Easy-to-Read (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
  • Guide to Physical Activity From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Physical Activity Basics and Your Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans: 2nd edition (Department of Health and Human Services) - PDF
  • Step It Up! Get Active for Your Health From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
  • Tips to Help You Get Active From the National Institutes of Health Easy-to-Read (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Walk. Run. Dance. Play. What's Your Move? - Move Your Way (Department of Health and Human Services)

Related Issues

  • Aerobic Exercise: How to Warm up and Cool down (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements) Also in Spanish
  • Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in One Hour (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Exercise for Your Bone Health From the National Institutes of 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) Also in Spanish
  • Exercise Intensity: How to Measure It (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Get Active Together: Social Support Can Help Keep You Moving From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
  • How Fit Are You? See How You Measure Up (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Physical Activity and Your Weight and Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Safety Tips for Hot Weather Exercise (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Target Heart Rates Chart (American Heart Association)
  • When Is the Best Time of Day to Work Out? (American Heart Association)
  • Working Out to Stay Sharp: Can Exercise Keep Your Brain Healthier? From the National Institutes of Health

Specifics

  • Core Exercises: Why You Should Strengthen Your Core Muscles (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Physical Activity for Adults: An Overview (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Staying Active at Any Size From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Strength Training: Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Stretching (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Stretching Safely and Effectively (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Walking: Trim Your Waistline, Improve Your Health (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Weight Management and Healthy Living Tips From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Weight Training: Do's and Don'ts of Proper Technique (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Health Check Tools

  • Exercise Activity Calculator (American Cancer Society)
  • MyPlate.gov (Department of Agriculture)
  • Target Heart Rate Calculator (American Cancer Society)

Videos and Tutorials

  • Epinephrine and exercise Video (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Weight Management: Strength Training Exercises Video (Nemours Foundation)

Test Your Knowledge

  • Fitness Facts & Fiction Quiz (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

  • FastStats: Exercise or Physical Activity (National Center for Health Statistics)
  • Personalized Exercise? How Biology Influences Fitness From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

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

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

  • Article: High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Enhances Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia in Healthy Individuals:...
  • Article: Web-based intervention program to foster need-supportive behaviors in physical education teachers...
  • Article: Effects of a blended face-to-face and eHealth lifestyle intervention on physical...
  • Exercise and Physical Fitness -- see more articles

Reference Desk

  • Definitions of Health Terms: Fitness From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute From the National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases From the National Institutes of Health Also in Spanish
  • President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)

Women

  • Fitness: All Guides (Boston Children's Hospital)
  • Physical Activity (Exercise) (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

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
  • 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

Topic Image

Exercise and Physical Fitness

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Are you getting too much exercise?
  • Dance your way to fitness
  • Epinephrine and exercise
  • Exercise clothing and shoes
  • Exercise, lifestyle, and your bones
  • Exercises to help prevent falls
  • Exercising on a budget
  • Give your heart a workout
  • How to avoid exercise injuries
  • How to avoid overheating during exercise
  • Indoor fitness routine
  • Learn to love exercise
  • Make time to move
  • Outdoor fitness routine
  • Physical activity
  • Working with a personal trainer
  • Yoga for health

Related Health Topics

  • Benefits of Exercise
  • Exercise for Children
  • Exercise for Older Adults
  • Health Risks of an Inactive Lifestyle
  • How Much Exercise Do I Need?
  • Sports Fitness

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

  • 4 Physical Activity Tips for Older Adults
  • Can Bacteria in Your Gut Make You Want To Exercise?
  • Cassey Ho is Staying Fit While Loving Herself
  • Keep it Going! How to Stick with a Fitness Routine
  • NIH Study Tracks Exercise with Mobile Apps to Improve Heart Health
  • Personal Story: Sara Santiago
  • Retired NFL Star DeMarcus Ware is in the best shape of his life

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The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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