(HealthDayNews) -- Regular physical activity can help you control your weight, reduce your risk of heart disease, and strengthen aging bones.
But before you lace up your workout shoes, talk to your doctor first, the Mayo Clinic advises, especially if:
- You've been sedentary for more than six months.
- You're a man 40 or older, or a woman 50 or older, and you haven't had a physical examination within two years.
- You've had a heart attack, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or diabetes.
- Anyone in your family has died of cardiovascular disease before age 50.
- You take medications or follow a special diet for a chronic condition.
- You're pregnant.
- You have noticeable pain or have experienced an injury in a particular joint or muscle.
