It is important that you exercise and keep fit especially as you grow older because it will greatly improve your health. Fitness is just as important for the disabled although exercises will have to be adjusted to suit.

Physical activity is just as important a part of a weight loss program as eating the right food. A growing number of women are overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), osteoarthritis, and some cancers.

It is not just how much "fat" you have but also where it is located. "Pear" shaped women, have a tendency to store fat around the hips and buttocks whilst "apple" shaped women store fat around the waist. There is greater concern for women with an "apple" shape because of carrying extra weight around their waists. A waist larger than 35 inches raises health risks, for example heart disease, diabetes or cancer. You can work out your body shape by measuring your waist and hips in inches and then divide your waist measurement by the hips measurement. A result of 0.8 or more generally indicates an "apple" shape woman.

Exercise helps you to lose fat and build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. It has been found that bone density is lost when weight loss is achieved through dieting alone. Exercise not only helps to prevent bones from breaking but also makes the body stronger and improves balance, and so helps to prevent falls. Though care has to be given when exercising, it is also important to ensure that the body has enough nutrients to build muscle otherwise minerals could be leeched from the bone and so make the bones weak. Therefore it is best not to exercise on an empty stomach.

Exercising provides a lot of benefits to the body such as:-

• help to reduce anxiety, depression, and improve moods

• help to control stress

• help to control weight

• provide more energy • help with sleeplessness

• help you look better.

To reduce the risk of injury you need to do a slow aerobic warm-up, then stretch before any aerobic or strengthening activities. An aerobic activity is an activity that speeds up your heart and breathing while moving your body at a regular pace. If you have been inactive for a while you will need to start slowly and gradually build up the pace without hurting the body.

Before starting any sort of exercise routine make sure that you talk to your health care provider especially if you have any of the following:-

• have or at risk of heart disease or a stroke

• have or at risk of diabetes

• are obese

• have an injury such as a knee injury

• older than 50 years

• are pregnant

The best way to stay fit is to have a well-rounded workout plan, which combines aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening exercises, and stretching. The ideal plan is to do at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity three of four times a week, adding muscle-strengthening activities to your aerobic workout two to three times a week. Exercise is not just for weight loss but is an important part of keeping and maintaining a healthy body.

About the author:

Gill Webster is dedicated to helping people, especially women over 40, learn how to live a healthy beautiful life, while succeeding at weight loss. To learn more, jump to http://www.slimyouwin.com, sign up for her free newsletter on health and fitness and receive her free e-book. Signup is a simple sign and Gill guarantees a no-spam policy!

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