EXERCISE AND RELAXATION IN HEALTH PROMOTION

The growing size of world cities and ever more competitive working con ditions are thought to cause subjective stress, anxiety and depression , with a resulting decrease in the quality of life, sleep disturbances , drug and alcohol abuse and poor productivity. Acute stress may suppr ess immune function, leading to an increased incidence of infections, and chronic stress may predispose to a number of ailments, including d igestive disturbances, hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and neopl asia; jointly, these factors cause a substantial shortening of life ex pectancy. The control of stress thus makes an important contribution t o health. Stress levels can be reduced by anxiolytic drugs, or by a va riety of psychological techniques; however, an appropriate programme o f physical activity may be the preferred option, since exercise has ma ny positive effects on health that are unrelated to stress. If exercis e is to be effective in inducing relaxation, it must be noncompetitive , moderate in intensity, and pursued in pleasant surroundings.