Gail Sheehy mentioned in her book, New Passages, that we actually start a second life around the age of 45. She cites a study that found that women who reach the age of 50 without cancer or heart disease have a life expectancy of 92 and men have a life expectancy of 84.

I know that if I'm going to live until at least 92, I want to be fit and healthy to enjoy all of those remaining years. And that fact alone should be enough of an incentive to exercise, but it often isn't. So, in this article, I am going to give you more reasons to get off the couch and move your body.

Exercise is good for our looks. "Oh no," you are probably saying. "I hope this column isn't going to be all about appearance - being thin and looking "young." The reason I have chosen to talk about looks first is that at least 90% of the people who start an exercise program usually have looks as their number one reason for starting to exercise.

The emphasis here is the word "starting." Once involved with exercising, most people discover all of the other benefits that I am going to address. I will, however, say that when we are fit and exercising regularly we develop a glow. We stand and move with grace and purpose. And yes, we lose those ugly bulges and flabby limbs.

Exercise gives us lots of energy. If you read my profile, you know that I have many different careers. I can't begin to tell you how many people ask me how I get everything accomplished in all these different areas of my life. It's because I exercise that I have an abundance of energy. It pumps me up and keeps me going late into the night. It also produces instant and restful sleep the minute my head hits the pillow, so that when I awake (even after only six or seven hours) I am totally rested.

Exercise increases our level of HDL and lowers the level of LDL. Studies have shown that regular exercise helps us maintain a high level of HDL that is the lipoprotein that helps remove cholesterol from the bloodstream and that is believed to reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also thought to reduce LDL that is the lipoprotein that carries cholesterol to the cell tissues and in excess is believed to increase the risk of coronary artery disease.

Exercise cuts down on worry and increases creativity. The increase of oxygen that we experience when exercising comes with a plethora of side benefits. First of all it helps to produce endorphins - peptides that are secreted by the brain and that have a pain-relieving effect or a "high" like morphine. I feel that it is because of these and the fact that all of my attention is focused on the exercise that no matter what problem I was worrying about when I started becomes only a minor disturbance or nothing of importance by the time I finish.

I also get some of my most creative ideas as I exercise. They just pop up and into my mind as I am moving to the music. Recently, I read an article that stated that the extra oxygen that reaches the brain as we exercise keeps our minds young and functioning, and even helps our memory.

Exercise produces lean muscle mass. And the more lean muscle mass we have, the more calories we burn, even as we sleep. You see, it takes more calories to maintain muscle. Sometimes people who are developing muscle are concerned for they are not losing weight even though their clothes are becoming looser. I assure them that muscle weighs more than fat and that is the reason you weigh more or the same and also why you are burning more calories.

The above are only some of the many benefits you will gain from exercise. In upcoming articles, I will explain these and others in more depth. I also plan to share the many ways to exercise successfully and safely. Stay tuned and send me your comments, questions, and concerns. This column is for you!