Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Benefit of Being Physically Active?

Physical activity improves yours and your families' health, well-being and quality of life. You can benefit substantially from what physical activity delivers both physically and mentally, from reducing risk of chronic disease to increased emotional well-being. In addition to the social, emotional and spiritual benefits, you can also economically benefit through reducing health care cost, saving on sick day leave, avoiding or delaying the need for institutional care.

Living an active lifestyle helps:

• control weight
• lower your risk of getting heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and diabetes
• reduce your risk of dying from heart disease or stroke
• lower high blood pressure
• keep your bones, muscles, and joints healthy, controlling joint swelling and pain from arthritis
• improve flexibility and balance
• protect against falling and bone fractures in older adults
• reduce anxiety, depression and improve your mood and sense of well-being
• handle stress
• give you more energy
• give you more energy
• sleep better
• improve academic performance
• improve independent living in later years
• live longer

It is never too late to start. Try to integrate physical activity into your daily life. Don't cram all of your physical activity into one day. You will get more benefit from doing a little every day than a lot once a week.

Source:

• Introduction to the Healthy Delaware 2010 Initiative.