Many people don't understand the real meaning of health and wellness as they have never experienced it and can't imagine what it is like to enjoy robust good health. Chronic disease and sub-standards levels of health are pervasive in our modern world. We may not be ill and can feel "okay" in between headaches, aches and pains.



We don't feel abundant health, and we don't see others experiencing it either. We have grown used to functioning below par and move through life in a sluggish way. Any wonder we have low motivation levels to be active, strong and fit. We have been conditioned by society to believe that as we get older it is normal to be battling one health problem or another. We accept becoming doctor and drug reliant for the rest of our lives.

Many of the leading causes of death for people between the ages of 25 and 65 are premature and preventable. Lifestyle habits either accelerate or reverse disease and aging. Adults can reclaim good health by changing their poor health habits and attitudes towards proper exercise. This would decrease their risk for disability and their time spent in the "disability zone."

According to experts on aging, rest and "taking it easy" is precisely what aging people do not need. Around the ages of 30 - 40 people begin to gain fat and lose muscle strength, bone and aerobic capacity and their risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes climbs.

They are headed for the disability zone which is the time spent from the point at which a person no longer leads a quality life (ie because of disease) to the end of life. Health span and lifespan are two very different scenarios and one should equal the other. This ensures we are not left with anywhere between 10-20 years unable to function independently and needing others to take care of us.

To get the health span and lifespan equaling each other we need to prepare for this time be making some changes in our lifestyle as we get older. The number one most important factor is a proper exercise program that includes a large percentage of strength training exercise to halt the muscle tissue loss that drags with it strength and health. There is simply not enough activity or "work" built into our modern lifestyles to retain our strength so it is imperative that we take steps to preserve it. This will decrease our decent into the disability zone.

Your exercise program has to be mainly strength training exercise. Like it or not this is what is needed to keep the human body healthy, strong and fit. If you have not exercised before it is important to seek the help of a fitness professional to set up your program and teach you correct exercise technique. If you are already active make sure you perform muscle building and maintaining exercise as opposed to recreational type activity such as walking, cycling swimming etc. These are not strength building activities and are not suitable as the foundation of a proper exercise program.

Each of us has a responsibility to do all we can to avoid the disability zone. It is not fair to expect the burden of taking care of people who not help themselves to fall on family, friends and the community. We all know now that fitness and exercise are crucial to successful aging and a no exercise lifestyle is a major health risk.

Think of your exercise program as medicine. Fitness medicine prevents loss of function by promoting healthy lifestyle behavior bringing about positive changes to all of us to reduce human and financial losses associated with chronic diseases. The impact of fitness medicine is both healing and preventive and is the kind of self-health care that regenerates the body and rekindles the spirit adding years to life and life to years.