Regular low-intensity exercise confers important health benefits, both physical and emotional. On the physical side, exercise physiologists say it:

Helps control weight. In addition to burning extra calories while you’re exercising, physical activity boosts “basal metabolic rate,” the rate the body burns calories while at rest. When you’re physically active, you continue to burn extra calories even after you stop exercising. “You may not lose 20 pounds taking leisurely strolls,” says John Duncan, Ph.D., former associate director of the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, “but you’ll be better able to maintain your current weight. With low-intensity exercise and a low-fat diet you’ll probably lose a few pounds. And if you take long brisk walks and eat a low-fat diet, you’ll lose more.”
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