This wasn't’ a trick. When you clicked on "sports" you probably did not expect an essay of the benefits of exercise for health. If you are already a fitness buff, or workout every day, or have a good routine of consistent exercise, you probably don’t need to read the following. Either way, the great sports link is at the bottom of the page. It’s a great site that supposedly links to over 5,000 additional sports pages. We didn’t count them all, but there seems to be something at this site for everyone who is interested in sports information and activities. On the other hand, maybe exercise is something you have a difficult time working into your lifestyle. If so, read on.

The importance of exercise for a healthy body is well documented and confirmed by scientific research. Most experts agree that a daily routine of mild exercise is necessary to maintain general health and wellness. There is considerable evidence to suggest that exercise may even prolong our life span. A fit body has a stronger immune system and makes us less susceptible to illness and disease. General fitness makes us feel better, allows us to become more alert, and even improves our sex lives. Exercise is particularly crucial in any weight management program. Yet, even knowing all these things about the positive benefits of exercise, most human beings find it difficult to maintain a consistent exercise routine. Why? Mostly, we suspect our slothfulness is due in part as a result of our mechanized and computerized culture. Agrarian societies did not need to plan exercise because it was ingrained in their everyday lives. However, since the majority of the population in the industrialized world does not perform manual labor for a living, we must somehow find a way to interweave some type of exercise into our daily routines. There is a secret to doing this.

Why do most people hate to exercise? The answer is because most people fail to choose a type of exercise that they enjoy. Quality exercise need not involve expensive machinery, videotapes, exercise equipment, gyms, swimming pools, fancy clothing, or high tech gizmos. One of the cheapest, yet most effective forms of exercise is simple walking. Not strolling or meandering, but walking at a good pace. Running may burn more calories, but constant running is hard on the knees and feet. Walking is more user friendly and even relaxing. But walking is but one example of dozens of inexpensive ways to stay fit and healthy.

Pick your sport or activity. Everyone can find an activity that they enjoy and pick more than one too. Constant repetition of the same exercise activity leads to boredom and fitness plateaus. Even world class athletes cross-train and exercise rotation is extremely important to both your body and your state-of-mind. Boredom is another reason while many humans either fail to start exercising or fail to maintain a healthy level of exercise. What is a healthy level of exercise? At a minimum, most people should perform at least twenty to thirty minutes of anaerobic exercise for three or four days a week. That level is just a minimum maintenance level. If you really want to increase your level of fitness or lose weight, you should exercise at least six times a week.

The key factor is that regardless of what type or level of exercise you perform, try to do a little bit of something every day. Your body will thank you for your diligence. In turn, you will feel better about yourself because you will look better, feel stronger, and have more energy.