THE BENEFITS OF BEING FIT

So what are the benefits to you of keeping fit? Why should you bother to read this? Why subject yourself to the disciplines of exercise and food control? The two main answers are obvious and undeniable

LONGER LIFE

The majority of smokers in Europe die of heart-attacks or cancer. The other side is that those of us who do not smoke are highly unlikely to die of lung cancer, and those of us who keep fit are more likely to reach a ripe old age with strong hearts and less risk of suffering from cancers.

Poor physical fitness is associated with cardiovascular disease. A great many medical research studies over the years have shown that people who exercise by walking outlive those who take no exercise at all, and that those who walk the most outlive those who walk the least. Genetic disposition to early death from cardioascular cause is unusual and can anyway be postponed by taking exercise.

One Harvard study of 10,000 graduates  over 40 years (during which 470 died) showed that deaths from cardiovascular desease were proportional to levels of physical fitness, and moreover that the fittestt individuals were also the least likely to die from any cause. Of special interest to those of you who think you can not stop smoking, the same study found  that fit smokers were less likely to die than less fit smokers

QUALITY OF LIFE

Nobody wants to live longer,  if they are not enjoying life. If it means pain from arthritis, osteoporosis, viral illnesses and so on, then what, you may wonder, is the advantage of a longer life? I would agree. However, by keeping fit and eating healthily you dramatically increase your chances of escaping such painful afflictions. Quality of life involves self-confidence, happiness, and good health. Fitness will increase your chance of enjoying all three.