A 20th century phenomenon that is proving to be one of the greatest public health threats of the modern age is our sedentary and inactive lifestyles. Right back from the origins of our species, our ancestors have had to exert themselves physically in order to survive. Even after the Industrial Revolution, most people still had to perform hard physical work on an almost daily basis.

Within a few generations people can now prosper financially and feed themselves without having to perform hard manual labor. And this is how it is now, and what most of us do every day - almost nothing that requires vigorous physical exertion. The result of this is the world faces an epidemic of overweight and obese people, sky rocketing levels of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other life threatening illnesses and conditions which have been labeled "lifestyle diseases" as they are considered to be premature and preventable.

For our bodies to become and remain healthy they require the stimulation of challenging physical activity. This is the primary way our bodies renew themselves each day.

We still have the same bodies as our nomadic ancestors and our cells still think we are living out on the savannah, struggling to stay alive each day. Though we have moved indoors and left that life behind, we are still hard wired for hard manual labor.

We now must replace this necessary movement with intentional exercise if we wish to stay healthy. Vigorous physical movement signals our body that it's time to grow. So, when you exercise, your muscles release specific substances that travel throughout your bloodstream, telling your cells to grow and stay strong. Sedentary muscles, on the other hand, let out a steady trickle of chemicals that whisper to every cell to wind down and decay, day after day after day.

One of the most important aspects of maintaining health and preventing lifestyle diseases is to take measures to lower the risk factor by starting or continuing with a proper exercise program. If you are new to exercise and are eager to reap maximum benefits from minimal time and effort, strength training is the place to start.

With a beginning strength training program you will feel and see improvements in strength and endurance within a few short weeks. This immediate positive feed back often gives newcomers the incentive and encouragement they need to continue with their pursuit of health in other areas as well such as eating better.

You may think of your health as a given, but that's most likely because you are, in this moment, enjoying good health. Once you have had a serious illness or injury, you never take your health for granted again and realize how important it really is. Although some aspects of our health are not under our control, there are many things we can do to protect and guard the body we have been given.

When we partake in regular exercise, that process of growth spreads throughout every cell in our bodies, making us functionally younger. Not just a little bit younger - a whole lot younger. You can live out your life in a powerful, healthy body resistant to illness and disease if you are willing to put in some effort and work.