
We’ve all heard that exercise is good for our physical health. By now, most of us have probably also heard that exercise is good for our mental health. But do you know the specifics of these amazing benefits of exercise?
In this article we cover 12 of the amazing benefits of exercise, giving you more context and information into why incorporating exercise into your daily or weekly routine is a must. It’s not just about losing weight or running a faster 5K!
How Much Exercise Are We Talking About?
Before diving into the benefits, let’s take a quick look at just how much exercise we’re actually talking about.
Physical activity is any movement that uses energy, such as walking, cycling, sports, and play. Certain types of exercise will provide more benefits for certain things than others. These are the guidelines as outlined by the WHO.

Recommendations for Kids
For children under 5, infants should have several play sessions daily, including tummy time, with no screen time and 14-17 hours of sleep. Ages 1-2 need 180 minutes of activity daily, minimal screen time, and 11-14 hours of sleep. Ages 3-4 also need 180 minutes of activity, including 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity, up to 1 hour of screen time, and 10-13 hours of sleep.
Children aged 5-17 should engage in 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily, with strength activities 3 times a week and limited screen time.

Recommendations for Adults
Adults (18-64) need 150-300 minutes of moderate activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity weekly, along with strength activities 2 days a week. Older adults (65+) should follow the same guidelines, adding balance and strength activities 3 times a week. Pregnant and postpartum women should aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity weekly, including strength activities, while limiting sedentary time.
People with chronic conditions should follow adult guidelines and aim to exceed activity levels if possible, while limiting sedentary time. Individuals with disabilities should follow age-appropriate guidelines with suitable adaptations, including upper body exercises and inclusive sports. Staying active is essential for maintaining good health and well-being.

12 Benefits of Physical Activity
1. It Reduces Your Risk of Coronary Heart Disease
That’s right, if you perform moderate-vigorous exercise regularly, you will reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. This is thanks to the fact that regular exercise lowers blood pressure, helps you maintain a healthy body weight, and more.
2. It Can Reduce Your Risk of Stroke by 25%
Not only is exercise good for your heart health, it’s also good for your brain health! The same factors that contribute to exercise reducing your risk of heart disease contribute to it lowering your risk of stroke. There are around 1 million strokes worldwide that can be attributed to physical inactivity.
3. It Can Reduce Your Risk of Developing Dementia by 28% and Azlheimer’s by 45%
Following on with the trend of exercise being good for brain health, exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia by 28% and Alzheimer’s by 45%. And this effect seems to still carry over to some extent even when we’re older! So it’s never too late to start.
4. It Can Reduce Your Risk of Developing Type-2 Diabetes
Physical activity has been proven to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It does this by improving your body’s sensitivity to insulin, helping you maintain a healthy weight, and more. Exercise can also help improve health outcomes if you already have diabetes, although you should consult with your doctor before undertaking any exercise regimen.

5. It Can Reduce Your Risk of Developing Cancer
Low levels of physical activity have been shown to account for 12% of colon cancers, and 3.2% of breast cancers, so getting moving is a great way to mitigate these risks! Thanks to exercise's role in regulating the body’s production of hormones, it’s a great way to fight cancer, alongside all of its other benefits.
6. It’s Great for Bone Health
Exercise - specifically resistance training and weight bearing exercise like running, jumping, and playing basketball - is great for your bone health. That’s because the way these types of exercise put stress on your bones means they become stronger, reducing your risk of osteoporosis.
7. It Can Help You Sleep
If you struggle with insomnia, then getting some exercise can be a great way to help you get a good night’s rest. While researchers don’t understand the exact mechanisms, it’s been shown that aerobic exercise not only helps you fall asleep but increases the amount of deep sleep that you get - this is one of the most important stages of sleep!
8. It Can Decrease the Risk of Certain Complications During Pregnancy
Yes, exercise can even reduce the risk of certain complications during pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia and pregnancy induced hypertension. It can also lead to fewer complications during delivery, faster recuperation after labour, and more! Of course this is with an emphasis on gentle aerobic and strength training. While it’s important to keep moving, you probably don’t want to be smashing PBs!

9. It Can Help Reduce the Risk of Falls in Older Adults
Falls are a serious issue in older adults, and they lead to millions of emergency room visits worldwide each year. Exercise such as Tai Chi, balance, gait training, and strength training are fantastic ways to improve your strength and balance and have been shown to lower the risk of falls in older adults. And remember, it’s never too late to start!
10. It Can Help Alleviate Depression and Anxiety
On top of all the physical benefits, exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improve overall mental health. It is thought that these improvements come from the fact that exercise releases endorphins (brain chemicals that make you feel good), but also through exercise’s beneficial effects on sleep.
11. It Can Improve Your Child’s Academic and Cognitive Performance
The benefits of exercise aren’t limited to the adult population. Studies have found that aerobic exercise has a significant positive effect on children’s academic and cognitive performance. Essentially, this means that not only does exercise help your child perform well at school, it makes them smarter overall, too!
12. It Reduces Your Risk of Dying
As you can imagine, due to all of the benefits highlighted above, exercising reduces your risk of all-cause mortality. This can be a reduction of around 30% - that’s a lot! The best results seem to come from mixing both moderate and vigorous physical activities, so don’t just settle on one type, try and include various different types of exercise regularly.

Looking for a Challenge?
Now that we know all the benefits that exercise can provide, why not test yourself with the Kokoda Challenge? We have challenges ranging from 18km to 96km with events hosted at four locations across the East Coast: Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Lake Macquarie.
Get a team together and sign up to the event closest to you to not only reap the benefits of exercise, but feel the power of mateship and team work, and push yourself further than you thought possible!