Cardiorespiratory Fitness and the Incidence of Chronic Disease

An inverse association between cardiorespiratory fitness and the incidence of chronic disease has been established by large, well-designed epidemiologic studies. Collectively, the findings support that these health benefits are realized at relatively moderate levels of exercise or physical activity and increase in a dose-response fashion. This supports the concept that physical activity should be promoted by health care professional for optimal health. This review is focused on the influence of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness on the incidence of cardiometabolic risk factors and diseases.