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Head and Heart
Equally important are the benefits of physical activity to your mental state. Numerous studies point to aerobic exercise (like walking) as one of the best remedies for anxiety and depression, capable of boosting mood, self-esteem, and mental functioning. It can also help you deal with stress, which, is important to controlling your cholesterol and avoiding a heart attack. You don't have to train for a marathon or even join a gym. All you need to do is at least 30 minutes of walking on most days (more if you need to lose weight), plus a little strength training to keep your body toned and rev your metabolism -- can be done with little or no equipment. The key is to get moving, feel better, have more energy, and become less susceptible to stress.A few words of caution before you read further: If the most exercise you've gotten in the past year was running through the airport to catch a plane after standing in the security checkpoint for two hours, give your doctor a call. You need to get medical clearance before starting any program that increases your level of physical activity. The same applies if you already have heart disease or any other chronic illness.
And start slow. Some of the main reasons people quit exercising are they overdo it early on, get injured, or become frustrated when they don't see quick results. So pace yourself -- this is a lifelong proposition. And listen to your body. If it hurts a lot the next day, you've overdone it. If you get dizzy or feel nauseated, stop. The idea here is to improve your health, not harm it.
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