The big benefits of being fit

Five daily servings of fruits and vegetables: check. Drinking lots of water: check. Sleeping at least seven hours a night: check. You may even be forking out top dollar for dietary supplements, so you can feel your best every day. But do you make time for fitness and regular exercise?

"Physical inactivity or 'sedentarism' is the fourth leading killer in the world, ranking above obesity. So in a way, it is better to be fat and active, than to be thin and inactive. We all need to be physically active," says Dr Ben Tan, chairman of the Exercise is Medicine, Singapore Task Force.

Here is a reminder of the major benefits you could reap from regular exercise.

Lose weight

For short-term weight loss, dieting is actually more effective than exercise. But combined, they are the most potent way to shed the kilos. And in the long-term, exercise is the best predictor of weight loss maintenance.

Exercise not only burns calories, it also increases your metabolism. That's especially true of muscle-strengthening exercises. Simply put, the more muscle you have, the more calories, your body burns, even at rest.

Related video: How to exercise right

Boost your mood

"Regular exercise, even if light, has been shown to be an effective way to treat depression and dementia," says Dr Tan, who heads the Changi Sports Medicine Centre and Singapore Sports Medicine Centre.

Exercise has been proven to lower stress and anxiety. Studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise is as potent as Zoloft (sertraline), a commonly prescribed antidepressant.

And if you're super kiasu, you can bask in the warm, fuzzy feeling that you're in better shape than 75 per cent of people. That is the percentage of Singaporeans who do not engage in regular exercise, according to the latest National Health Surveillance Survey.

Fend off diseases

Over the long term, fitness and exercise reduce the risk of many ailments. To name a few:

• Coronary heart disease (the first cause of death in Singapore)

• Diabetes (a condition affecting 11.3 per cent of Singaporean adults and which can lead to blindness and amputation)

• Osteoporosis (a disease that is "rapidly assuming epidemic proportions in Singapore", according to specialists from Singapore General Hospital)

• Colon and breast cancers (the two most frequent types of cancer in Singapore)

In a world where eating tainted bean sprouts can kill you, it is good to be reminded that moderate exercise can also boost your immune system.

In addition, exercise has been proven to bring down high blood pressure. "The reduction in blood pressure can last up to 22 hours after exercise," notes Elsa Leung, physiotherapist at Changi General Hospital.

Related video: How to exercise with a resistance band

Spice up your sex life

We've saved the best for last. With fitness and exercise, you stand to get a better figure, a glowing complexion, more stamina -- so who could resist you?

Exercise does help with body image. That might explain why, according to research, the more a person exercises, the more sex he or she tends to have.

This article was written by the Health Xchange editor, with expert input from the Changi Sports Medicine Centre and the Rehabilitative Services Department at Changi General Hospital.

Find more health-related tips and articles on HealthXchange.com.sg, Singapore's trusted health and lifestyle portal.

Health Xchange's articles are meant for informational purposes only and cannot replace professional surgical, medical or health advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment.