Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) presents “Ask an Expert”, a series where team members from our Bariatric Centre of Excellence answer questions they commonly encounter. For more information on our Regional Bariatric Care Centre, please visit bit.ly/TBRHSC-RBCC.  This month’s question is answered by Katelyn Methot, Registered Kinesiologist.

How does physical activity help me to improve my health?

Physical activity provides many health benefits. Physical activity is an important tool to improve chronic disease risk factors, by lowering blood pressure, increasing healthy cholesterol and decreasing unhealthy cholesterol, improving blood sugar regulation, and reducing inflammation. Physical activity also improves stamina and strength, cardiovascular and respiratory function, protects the joints from osteoarthritis, and reduces the risk of falls and injuries. It also has a positive impact on mental health and cognition.