Exercise can protect against everything from heart attacks and cancer to depression and erectile dysfunction, but the New York Times focuses on how working out also helps with ailments you're already suffering from—even those that make exercise difficult.
Perhaps the most immediate benefits are reaped by people with joint and neuromuscular disorders. Without exercise, those at risk of osteoarthritis become crippled by stiff, deteriorated joints. But exercise that increases strength and aerobic capacity can reduce pain, depression and anxiety and improve function, balance and quality of life.
The key, of course, is knowing what kind of workouts counter your ailment. If you've used exercise to address health issues in the past, let's hear what worked best for you in the comments.
