Better-conditioned muscles make every task that much easier, regardless of body weight. When you exercise, your ability to use muscle fibers is increased. So you require less effort to perform any physical task.

A strong body also has a stronger immune system. Being sick drains us of energy, and exercise, by boosting immunity, staves off illness. Recent research has shed light on why strong may get sick less often and recuperate faster when they do get sick: exercise increases activity of natural killer cells in bloodstream.

* Less Stress *

A great deal of research supports that weight lifting is one of most effective means of battling depression and stress. One of main fatiguing factors of depression and stress is lack of sleep. In a recent Stanford University study, formerly sedentary insomniacs who began to exercise fell asleep 15 minutes faster and were able to sleep an hour longer than they had before becoming active.

* Boost Brain Fitness *

To this point, we've been talking about benefit of exercise on mental energy. But is it possible that being in shape might translate to even greater mental benefits, such as increased intelligence, creativity, memory, or reasoning ability? It's very possible.

Studies show that both factors of mental stimulation and exercise were contributing to increase of brain's learning centers in different ways. Mental stimulation results in more synapses (the little gaps between brain nerve cells that enable them to communicate with one another), while exercise increases number of capillaries in cerebellum and cerebral cortex (two areas of brain crucial to intelligence.)

* Take a Walk *

Medical research results could hardly be clearer: Taking a walk is one of best ways to take charge of your health. A study in Journal of American Medical Association (February 11, 1998) showed that walking briskly for half an hour just six times a month cut risk of premature death in men and women by 44 percent. A study in New England Journal of Medicine (January 8, 1997) reported that men 61 to 81 years old sharply reduced their risk of death from all causes, including cancer and heart disease, by walking two miles a day. Other research has shown similar results for women.

Recent studies have concluded that moderate amounts of exercise - including walking, jogging or using a treadmill for one hour, four to five times a week - can turn back aging clock 30 years for middle aged men.

Consistency is probably most important part of your workout. The more committed you are to walking all or most days of week, healthier you'll be. Remember that short walks are better then none at all. Health, like life, is a journey. All you have to do is take first step.