Describe the physical and mental benefits of exercise

All of benefits for various types of exercise will be described in better detail when we get to the different types of exercise (Cardiorespiratory Endurance, Muscular Strength and Muscular Endurance, and Flexibility training... all terms found in the "Glossary").

In the websites below, you will find overall benefits of exercising, both physical and mental benefits.  Please get to know these benefits fairly well:

Click Here for Physical Benefits

Click Here for Mental Benefits

And here is a video of the benefits of exercise on your brain:

Click here for a video on Exercise and your Brain

Because of all of these benefits, the U.S. Government has tried to influence the public in a variety of ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  One of the Government's largest investments is in the Healthy People Program.  On this website, you can see a number of topic areas in the Data Search . 

NOTE: The HEALTHY PEOPLE website is acting a little "off-putting" to say the least.  Much of the information you'll need for the quiz is located on the websites provided above and the information provided at the bottom.

For the quiz, you need to have a sense of what the responses are from the Survey about American participation in Physical Activity.  Therefore, when you click the "https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/physical-activity" link, on the next page, look over the results from the PA 01 and PA 02.

The Physical Activity Data Set is quite interesting, especially since it is related to this class.  For example, when goals were first developed for the year 2010, the U.S. Government wanted only 20% of its population to be a couch potato (doing no leisure-time activities, PA-1).  But by 2004, 39% of the U.S. citizens weren't doing any leisure-time activities.  So they adjusted the goal to 35%, and accomplished that goal.  They have since created a goal of 32 % and have met that already. And in 2020, the data showed we are down to 26%!!!.  

In 2020, the Gov't also wanted 48% of Americans to complete the recommended amount of aerobic activity (PA-02).  That goal is already met, so a new goal of 52% was established.  A similar trend can be seen for weight training wherein the Healthy People goal is 24% of Americans complete 2 days a week of weight training (PA-2.3).  And that goal has been met as well (at 31%).  Individuals are moving in the right direction we all just need the motivation and will power to continue improving.