In addition to helping to control your weight, research shows that
regular physical activity can reduce your risk for several diseases and
conditions and improve your overall quality of life. Regular physical
activity can help protect you from the following health problems.

• Heart Disease and Stroke. Daily physical activity can help prevent
  heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering
  your blood pressure, raising your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels
  (good cholesterol) and lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels
  (bad cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart’s
  working capacity.

• High Blood Pressure. Regular physical activity can reduce blood
  pressure in those with high blood pressure levels. Physical activity
  also reduces body fatness, which is associated with high blood pressure.

• Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes. By reducing body fatness, physical
  activity can help to prevent and control this type of diabetes.

• Obesity. Physical activity helps to reduce body fat by building or
  preserving muscle mass and improving the body’s ability to use calories.
  When physical activity is combined with proper nutrition, it can help
  control weight and prevent obesity, a major risk factor for many
  diseases.

• Back Pain. By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving
  flexibility and posture, regular exercise helps to prevent back pain.

• Osteoporosis. Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation
  and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging.