Risk factors for cardiovascular disease among exercising versus non-exercising women.

As expected, overall, women who exercised had lower body weights, BMIs, and lower risk blood profiles than did those who did not exercise, with exceptions occurring only in the 40 to 49 age group for total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure differences were small between exercisers and nonexercisers, but significant overall. Women who exercised perceived their health, feelings of well-being, and energy to accomplish daily tasks as higher and they missed fewer days of work than did their nonexercising counterparts.