d continues to be, the belief that physical exertion of a certain nature provides medical benefits. This idea is far from new, in fact the ancient Chinese, Greeks and Romans all documented the rehabilitative and preventive power that exercise can bring to bear on the human body (Stone, 1987, p. 179). Indeed Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician credited with being the father of modern medicine, claimed that exercise prevented disease, defective growth and illness (Reid & Thomson, 1985, p. 2). Yet it was not until this century that quantifiable scientific proof of the efficacious benefits of exercise on health began to be researched and uncovered.
The effects that exercise may have on the human physiology and psyche have been studied, analyzed and debated with greater and greater frequency over the last half century. Most sources claim that some types of exercise will improve a personÆs overall, general health (Christopher, 1987; Keeton, 1992; OÆReilly 1989; Sanford, 1998; Singer, 1988; Verespej, 1993). Some studies go even furth
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