Remember, you are never too old or too sedentary to start an exercise programyou just have to be smart about it!

Exercise is the most widely prescribed "pill" today and there is ever-increasing research about the benefits of being fit. Dont believe me? Well, here are just a few of the incredible benefits you'll receive when you make exercise a part of your daily life:

Improve cardiovascular function

Imagine being given the chance to improve the workings of your heart and lungs without drugs. You can easily improve their functions by challenging them with aerobic-type exercise. The definition of aerobic exercise is anything that elevates your heart rate moderately for a prolonged period of time. An example might be riding a bike for 7 or 8 miles at 65-70 revolutions per minute, or approximately 10 miles an hour. If you are more of a walker, then walking at about 4 miles an hour for 30 to 45 minutes will improve your cardiovascular system. The thing to remember is that consistency is the key to getting healthier! According to the Academy of Sports Medicine (ACSM), you can (and should!) do cardio-exercises most days of the week for 30 to 45 minutes.

If you are just starting a fitness routine and have been inactive for a while, you may want to divide up your 30 minutes into three 10-minute sessions. This is just to get started, for you will eventually want to work up to doing the whole 30 to 45 minutes continuously. Remember, you are never too old or too sedentary to start an exercise programyou just have to be smart about it!

Build and repair bones

Osteoporosis is a serious disease that destroys bone mass. Exercise is always prescribed for the prevention and retardation of this life-threatening disease. When you impact your bones consistently, the stimulation makes them respond and rebuild. Jumping rope, for example, is an ideal way of impacting bone. Strength training helps retard osteoporosis by making your muscles stronger, which in turns makes your bones stronger to support the new strength of the muscles.

Stabilize blood sugar

Most doctors treating diabetes recommend exercise. Why? Because the importance of movement and exercise in controlling blood sugar is very well documented. Each patient is different, however, and you should always listen to your doctor as to how much exercise and how often is appropriate for you.

Increase strength

Keeping strong can keep you independent. I just talked to a 35-year-old woman who is on disability due to a tremendous amount of weight gain. She became so large that she couldnt do anything for herself. Luckily, she was stubborn enough to get herself turned around and she has lost about 160 pounds. Although she has a goal of another 200-pound loss, she is now discovering the benefits of exercise. This woman was telling me how great it is to carry groceries up to her apartment. She can actually climb the stairs now, while before she was unable to even move out of her apartment without assistance.

Improve balance

Balance is something that is lost over time, and it begins for most people as early as in our 30s. However, we can improve on that loss by challenging ourselves. For example, stand on one foot and count to 10. Simple exercises such as these can be done to tackle our losses. I think that we get too serious as we get older. It leads us to avoid walking on cement walls or curbs because we dont want to embarrass ourselves. Maybe it happens because as we stop playing we just get old. So, have fun while you challenge and improve your own sense of balance!

Elevate mood

You probably notice that when you take care of yourself and exercise, you also improve how you feel about yourself. So often, our whole day seems to go better when we do something positive to take control of our health and well being.

Create flexibility

Did you know that stretching at the end of each exercise session will improve your flexibility? Its important to remember to stretch only when your muscles are warm. Flexibility is an important part of being fit. When you can easily bend down and tie your shoe (or even put your shoe ON!), it means that you are flexible. We all need to be able to bend and stoopwe all need to be flexible!

Reduce body fat & increase lean body mass

Fat loss and lean body gain are two of the main reasons that people exercise other than for general health benefits. When you engage in cardiovascular exercises for most days a week, you are actually using fat storesespecially if you do a long warm-up and stay at a moderate pace. When you do strength training, you are creating more lean body mass; consequently, you are making yourself smaller and stronger. (Did you know that a pound of muscle takes up a lot less space than a pound of fat?) When you have a lot of lean body mass you use a lot more calories just being you.

Reduce stress levels

Stress can kill. This has been proven time and again. When you exercise, stress begins to leave your body and is replaced with endorphinswonderful chemicals that give you a sense of euphoria. What a pleasant thing to look forward to as you go to the gym or get ready for a run outside! On days when you dont feel like exercising, make an agreement with yourself to just try 10 minutes of it. Quite often, youll feel so good that youll want to continue.

I have just listed 10 things that being fit can do for you. And thats just a beginning, for there are many, many more benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. Why not try it and see how many things you can find that it does for you?

Remember, when you chose a program or regimen, be sure its something that you enjoy. If you dont enjoy what you are doing, chances are you wont stay with it for very long. Theres no reason exercise cant be fun. So: enjoy yourself, exercise, and feel better every day!