Which statement best reflects a stated benefit of exercise in the material?

• A. Health and skill-related physical fitness
• B. Increased body fat
• C. Reduced mental health
• D. Decreased endurance

Answer: (A)

Regular exercise yields improvements in both health-related and skill-related physical fitness. Health-related fitness includes cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and healthy body composition, while skill-related fitness covers abilities like agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, and speed. The material presents these improvements as the benefits of being physically active, so describing exercise as improving health and skill-related fitness best matches what is stated. The other options describe unfavorable changes—more body fat, poorer mental health, and decreased endurance—that would not be benefits of exercise.