The health benefits of exercise are extensive, and it is hard to overstate them. Exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis, and that is just some of the positive effects of exercise.

Different kinds of exercise have vastly different effects on the health and function of exercisers. Aerobic exercise improves our ability to use oxygen. Resistive exercises improve the strength in our bones and muscles. Balance exercises improve our brain function and can help prevent falling. Flexibility exercises improve our joint range of motion.

To enjoy the full benefits of exercise, we need to do these four different types of exercises: aerobic, resistive, balance, and flexibility. A “balanced” exercise program that includes all four types of exercise provides maximal health and function benefits.

Listed in the sidebar list below this Benefits of Exercise section title are the specific benefits of each type of exercise.