Inactivity

In 1992 the American Heart Association designated inactivity as one of the top four risk factors for the development of hypertension, heart attack, and stroke. Although it is not directly related to diet, exercise is beneficial to your body in many, many ways. It helps you to lose weight, lowering your blood pressure. When you exercise, your blood vessels open up to allow more blood to flow through, helping to keep them loose and flexible, and shielding them from the hardening effects of hypertension. Exercise helps you lose the extra sodium in your body. It lowers your blood cholesterol, cutting the amount of extra fats running through your bloodstream that can clog your arteries.

Just like a healthy diet, consistent exercise does wonderful things for you. And it need not be a strenuous workout. Just like a healthy diet means eating a wide variety of foods in different quantities, healthy exercising means maintaining overall fitness. Cleaning the house, taking a walk on your lunch hour, playing catch are all exercise programs that you can do every day.