How can exercise promote longevity?

Many people equate a good diet with good health, but exercise can claim as much, or more, benefit because it promotes longevity. At least as important is the fact that "functional survival" -- the ability to take care of yourself -- is longer in people who exercise regularly.

Exercise has also been shown to relieve pain and painful syndromes such as intermittent claudication, which causes pain in the legs with prolonged walking. Studies have shown exercise-associated improvements in medical problems such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis, as well as a reduced risk of developing a long list of other diseases.