Starting a habit for life
         Even very young children who are naturally and spontaneously active sometimes do not get enough exercise. Early in childhood, had habits become established. Television has an incredibly strong pulling power. The average teenager watches three hours of program every day and even more at weekends.
         Many young people develop a negative image of exercise from the way it was presented to them as children. They see exercise as a chore, and acquire an aversion to all types of physical activity, that will last for the rest of their lives. Lazy, inactive children are likely to grow up into lazy, inactive adults, who are overweight and unhealthy as a result. It is therefore important that children learn to associate physical activity with having fun. A child who exercises regularly will benefit in many ways. Children need exercise to develop strong, healthy hones and muscles, to maximize the efficiency of their heart and lungs, and to enhance their flexibility, coordination, balance, and speed.

Exercise in pregnancy
         Exercising regularly can enable women to enjoy pregnancy and childbirth more. Pregnant women who have kept themselves fit and active are much less likely to develop problems, such as weight gain and varicose veins. They are also better able to deal with the physical exertion of labor. It is never too late to start improving your fitness, but to gain the most benefit from being fit while pregnant it is best to start eating a better diet, losing excess weight, and exercising long before you become pregnant, as part of your preparation for starring a family.

Watching your weight 
         Regular exercise is useful for anyone who is at all overweight. Many people set out to shed their excess weight just by going on a slimming diet. They may not realize that even low intensity physical activities, such as walking or swimming at a gentle pace, could burn off extra calories. Regular physical activity raises your basal metabolic rate, so that your body uses up more calories, even when you are resting or asleep.

Exercise for a lifetime
         Although the search for the secret of how we slow down the ageing process and stay younger for longer still eludes doctors and scientists, there is a lot to be gained by staying active all our lives.
         Regular exercise slows down the natural degeneration of muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and joints. It maintains muscle strength, joint flexibility, balance, and coordination, keeping people mobile and independent.

Exercise and chronic illness 
         Anyone who develops a chronic medical disorder should attempt to remain at least as active as they were before. For numerous conditions, such as arthritis, back pain, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some heart disorders, regular exercise under guidance from a doctor can reduce the severity of the symptoms, lower the risk of complications, and slow down the progress of the disease.
         A number of disorders are not directly helped by exercise. Even then, it is still important to try to maintain the same level of physical fitness and mobility as before the illness started. One exception where a "no exercise" rule strictly applies is when you suffer from an acute infection, such as influenza, anemia, or cystitis, where vigorous activity could harm your health by causing the infection to increase in severity.