Role of Physical Exercise in Preventing Disease and Improving the Quality of Life

Over the last decade studies have shown that physical exercise plays an important role in maintaining an individual's psycho-physical balance. In particular, it has been demonstrated that prolonged regular physical activity (now defined in scientific publications as chronic physical activity) helps to significantly reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases, which are often associated with ageing, while at the same time bolstering the immune system.

Promoting physical activity therefore helps preventing today's major health challenges, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiorespiratory diseases, obesity, osteoporosis, arthritis, and cancer, thus leading to a reduction in healthcare costs and freeing up resources for future generations.

The volume will be an essential reading for all health professionals and for residents in medicine and in health and physical exercise.

Prof. Vilberto Stocchi is currently Full Professor of Biochemistry and Dean of the Faculty of Health and Physical Exercise at the University of Urbino. Furthermore Prof. Stocchi is the Director of the Center for the Study of Protein Biochemistry at the University of Urbino and of Institute of Research on Physical Activity.

Currently he is involved in the Project CIPE - Improvement of the quality of the life of the elderly, of the Marche Region, through the use of methodologies and innovative equipments with particular reference to the physical activity; he is also working for the European Project 2004: European year of the Education through the Sport Program "Education and sport: values without frontiers ".

The research activity of the Prof. Stocchi is documented by more then 200 papers published on international scientific reviews and by as many Conference participation.