Healthcare systems world wide are on the cusp of one of the biggest health problems ever faced as tens of millions of the Baby Boomer generation are aging. As our technology driven lifestyles have pushed vigorous physical activity out of our lives our bodies have lost the stimulus needed to stay healthy. They respond by getting sick and often have a hard time recovering from illness or injury because a great deal of muscle mass has been lost from the body.

Our muscle mass peaks in our early 20's then starts the long slow decline as we age with between 300-500 grams per year being lost for the rest of our lives. This slow stealth like muscle meltdown largely goes unnoticed as body fat can accumulate padding the area where muscle tissue is being lost.

The name of this villain is Sarcopenia and can have a devastating effect on the last 10-20 years of a person's life taking away their health, mobility and independence.

It will become a familiar name in the coming years as our inactive and sedentary lives become more common.

Everybody knows that muscle is necessary for strength but not many people are aware that muscle mass serves as the body's armor and defense against illness and disease.

To strengthen the immune system the whole body's muscular systems must be strengthened. This is achieved with strength training exercise that will protect and preserve muscle tissue which is crucially important for immune function in two ways:

* The necessary fuel source used by many cells of the immune system is the amino acid glutamine and the muscles are the primary site where this is stored. The more muscle you have the more plentiful the glutamine supply, the better the immune system works.

* Muscle is where the body stores protein. Protein is essential to produce new antibodies and white blood cells to fight off infections or find and destroy cancer cells. The body uses protein at a much faster rate when fighting sickness and muscle tissue is where a reserve of extra protein is kept to draw on when needed.

A proper exercise program that includes at least 60% strength training exercise and the rest vigorous cardio exercise that raises the heart rate also serves to speed the circulation of antibodies and killer cells through the body and can raise white blood cell counts by anywhere from 50 - 300 percent after an exercise session.

As many people get sick when they are stressed or depressed exercise helps reduce stress hormones and releases good hormones. Along with providing an outlet for the nervous energy produced by stress, exercise will increase the robustness of the immune system itself and lessen susceptibility to disease.

So forget the notion that muscles are just for looks, they are essential for the healthy functioning of the immune system and the ability to withstand disease. This will reduce your risk of being the victim of some dreadful life threatening disease and might well save your life. The only way to keep those precious muscles strong and healthy throughout your life is with strength training exercise.