Definition
Making choices in your life known to benefit overall health such as
eating right, regular exercise and avoidance of tobacco, illicit
drugs, and excessive use of alcohol.
Information
While maintaining good health habits cannot guarantee a longer life,
it can certainly improve the quality of your life. The following are
a few simple factors, if practiced regularly, that help minimize the
risk of illness and enrich life:

daily exercise,
avoidance of smoking and drug abuse,
moderate alcohol use (no use if you have a history of alcoholism),
weight control,
balanced and healthy diet,
tooth care,
control of high blood pressure,
good safety practices,
EXERCISE:


Exercise is a key factor in staying healthy. The question is not
should you exercise, but what kind of exercise is appropriate for
you? Exercise strengthens bones, heart, and lungs; tones muscles; and
increases physical reserve and vitality. It also helps you sleep
better, helps relieve depression, and prevents constipation. See
exercise for more detail.

Guidelines for exercise include:
If you are just starting an exercise program and have any health
concerns (such as obesity), see your doctor for an exercise tolerance
test to help you establish limits for your exercise program.

Begin gradually (perhaps with brisk walking) and don't expect to "get
into shape" overnight. Your fitness should start to improve within 3
months with consistent effort.

You should work hard enough to sweat during each exercise period, but
not so hard that you cannot carry on a conversation, unless you are
training for certain sports.

In order to become fit, plan an exercise routine that will last 20 to
30 minutes and be done at least 3 days a week. Include stretching
before and after your exercise. This will help avoid injury. Remember
to start slowly and listen to your body's pain messages. If it hurts
badly, then you have probably overdone it.

While exercises such as weight lifting provide strength to the
muscles, they do little for the fitness of the heart. Aerobic
exercises strengthen the heart and lungs and should be part of the
fitness routine. Examples of good aerobic exercises include: walking,
running, jogging, swimming, cross-country skiing, rowing, rope
skipping, dancing, racket sports, and cycling.

The duration of your exercise routine should be at least 20 to 30
minutes, and for more dramatic fitness results 45 to 50 minutes. In
addition, remember that aerobic exercise can't be "start and stop"--
it must be sustained for at least a 10- to 12-minute period.

Adjustments in exercise programs need to be made for children,
pregnant women, obese adults, elderly people, disabled people, and
heart-attack survivors. Programs should also be modified for high
altitudes and extreme hot or cold conditions.

Use good equipment (especially good shoes) for your fitness program
and do some research into a new type of activity before launching a
program.

No exercise program ever goes smoothly. There may be setbacks (such
as illness or injury), but these should not change your overall
program. If necessary, substitute one exercise activity for another
(for example, switch from running to swimming). If you do have a
setback, don't start immediately at your previous level of activity.
You should take about as long to get back to your previous level of
activity as the time you were out of action.

Exercise can be fun-- even though it may not seem fun at first. Don't
be afraid to vary both the duration and type of exercise activity if
your present program becomes boring.