Exercise and Fitness

  • Jonathan Myers
Chapter

Abstract

Since the late 1950s, numerous scientific reports have examined the relationships between physical activity, physical fitness, and cardiovascular health. Expert panels convened by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the European Working Group on Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation, and the American Heart Association (AHA),1, 2, 3, 4, 5 along with the US Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health,6 have reinforced scientific evidence linking regular physical activity to various measures of cardiovascular health. The prevailing view in these reports is that more active or fit individuals tend to experience less coronary heart disease (CHD) than their sedentary counterparts, and when they do acquire CHD, it occurs at a later age and tends to be less severe.

Keywords

Physical Activity Exercise Training Resistance Training Exercise Capacity Resistance Exercise 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag London Limited 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Jonathan Myers
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of CardiologyVA Palo Alto Health Care SystemPalo AltoUSA

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