Besides the physical benefits of staying active, physical activities can also contribute to good mental health.  Since physical activities help maintain a healthy body weight, they will, in turn, lead to positive self-esteem, greater self-efficacy, and improved academic and cognitive performance. Statistics show that young people who are physically active are less likely to use tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.  Problems of juvenile delinquency can also decrease when appropriate physical activity programs are available.  Rebecca Hu, a yoga instructor, states that most of her students take yoga classes to relieve their stress and tension by doing this type of stretching exercises.  Similar activities such as kung fu and karate are also designed for people to release their tension. 

If those activities are not effective, they would not exist for more than a thousand years.  For most adults, leisure-time physical activity provides a balance to the demands of family and work. Regular physical activities and higher levels of fitness also allow daily tasks to be accomplished with greater ease and comfort and with less fatigue. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between workplace physical activity programs and job satisfaction. Higher job satisfaction, in turn, can lead to better employee morale, increased productivity, and reduced absenteeism.  In short, physical activity helps prolong good mental health in various ways.

It should now be clear that being active and taking part in simple exercise is a good investment for one's health. Jogging, swimming and everyday sports are just a small fraction of the many forms of exercising that an individual can participate in. Being an active individual leads to a life that is reasonably longer and of higher quality than the lives of those who don't know the meaning of exercise.  It is good to play video games or watch television for a prolonged time once in a while but sometimes it is better to realize when enough is enough and it is time to get some fresh air. For maximum health benefits, it is important to maintain a regular pattern of activity. One sure way to reap these benefits is to participate in your favourite activities more often and more regularly. And while you're at it, why not take a friend or family member along? It will keep them active too and give you a little extra motivation.