Exercise’s benefits for health are multiple and don’t require a lot of exertion, Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Mood improvement, better sleep, weight control…exercise and cardiovascular health expert Kerry Stewart at Johns Hopkins says even if your goal isn’t competition or personal bests, many benefits of exercise are within reach with much more modest effort.

Stewart: The other major benefit that comes from exercise independent of fitness are the health benefits, things like lowering the blood pressure, controlling blood glucose, controlling lipid levels, reducing inflammation. Those are all health benefits that can accrue even from lower levels of exercise. To increase your level of fitness you generally have to work a little harder, to get the health benefits you generally can work at a low to moderate level, it's within a comfort range for most people.  : 30

Stewart notes that as with any habit change, it’s important to be patient with yourself and just take the next step. He says that finding a buddy to exercise with is always good for motivation as well. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.