The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which specific physical and psychologic measures distinguish between those people with cardiovascular problems who participate in physical activity and those who do not. A discriminant function analysis revealed that those individuals with cardiovascular disease who participated in physical activities were significantly younger, more likely to be male, assess their health as good, and had fewer illness symptoms and chronic conditions. These subjects also had less difficulty with activities of daily living and dexterity tasks, had higher internal control, and were more satisfied with their lives. More research is needed to fully understand how physical activity mitigates disease.