Exercising regularly is a good way to enjoy being in good physical condition. Being in good physical condition is synonymous with being in good health.

Many studies have demonstrated that if you exercise regularly and have a balanced low-fat diet, your state of health will greatly improve, as will your ability to prevent certain diseases.

Unfortunately, the majority of people do not exercise regularly. They use a car to get around, compete for parking spaces nearest the store, and take elevators instead of stairs.

Many people are "couch potatoes," spending long periods of time in front of the television set. At the same time, they eat a high-fat diet and many smoke. This combination is a recipe for fatal heart disease.

Regular exercise is more than a way to lose weight or attain "buns of steel." Your muscles need exercise. The heart, a muscle, needs to work vigorously in order to keep the blood vessels that feed into the heart healthy.

In fact, every system in your body improves with exercise. As you might expect, the lungs get stronger and your digestive system is more regular (preventing constipation). Your skin looks healthier and younger. Bones retain their calcium better, helping you avoid osteoporosis, the bone thinning associated with old age and inactivity.

Exercise helps the joints remain flexible and greatly improves muscle strength and tone. By reducing stress, exercise helps bolster your enthusiasm and optimism. You'll even sleep better.

Exercise and Weight Loss
If you want to lose weight, exercise helps in two ways. It controls your appetite and increases your metabolic rate, so you use calories faster.

According to a study done at the National Institutes of Health, from 1992 to 1993 the average weight for adults in the U.S. was 171 pounds. In 1985-86 it was 161 pounds.

Scientists speculate that even though Americans are eating low-fat, low-cholesterol diets, they may be consuming more calories and exercising less. This study illustrates the need for educating and encouraging young people to exercise.

Exercise must be done regularly to be effective and result in good physical condition, meaning that the heart and lungs don't get tired if you exercise moderately for a period of time.

The body uses two different built-in energy systems to deal with the two basic kinds of exercise -- anaerobic (not using oxygen) and aerobic (using oxygen).

Anaerobic exercise is the short-term, stop-start kind. For instance, when you play tennis, you stand still for a while, move for a short period, then stop. The body uses stored sugar for this kind of exercise, but it doesn't use additional oxygen.

Sustained, repetitive and rhythmic exercise like jogging or brisk walking, which uses large muscle groups, is aerobic. The body needs more oxygen for such exercise, and uses stored sugar, fat and proteins.

The best path to good physical condition is with aerobic exercise, which increases the strength of your cardiovascular system. Swimming, bicycling, jumping rope, jogging and hiking are also aerobic.

Remember that drug and alcohol overuse, smoking and overwork are likely to combat the beneficial effects of exercise and healthy eating.

In case you're not sure, try different kinds of exercise and different times of day before making a final choice. Once you decide, stick with it.

Exercise should be performed on a regular basis at least two or three times a week. Plan on 20-30 minutes or longer, according to your endurance. Choose a convenient time and set a goal. For example, within two months, I will be swimming three times a week for half an hour.

If you've been inactive for a long time, it's dangerous to overdo at the beginning. Start slowly and gradually increase the length of time. For example, swim for about 15 minutes the first time and add five minutes a day until you reach your goal.

Be careful not to hurt yourself. Take some time to warm up by stretching the leg, arm and upper-body muscles. When you've finished exercising, cool down the same way. Dress properly, especially if you exercise outdoors. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids during hot weather so you don't become dehydrated.

You'll probably be relieved to know this: You don't have to exhaust yourself to burn off that stored fat. Lower-intensity exercise does a very efficient job on it.

If you're using any apparatus, make sure you know how to use it properly BEFORE you start.

Most of all, listen to your body. If you feel any kind of pain, stop. Exercising should be for fun and to improve your health -- not to hurt yourself.