Sitting still in our society is getting to be a problem, a big one. The growing tendency around the world is to sit in front of a computer most of the day and then flop in front of a TV at night. Computers may be useful and TV entertainment may be enjoyable, but we are so enthralled with these screens, we totally stop moving. And that is a mistake as inactivity is an unnatural state for us humans.

Whenever you are inactive for more than 60 minutes or so, it is likely that your body is sending a signal to your brain to slow down the metabolism. This for starters will decrease your fat burning capacity and increase your fat making ability. Not a good thing if you wish to stay trim and slim.

So what happens when you linger over a big meal and then spend hours at your desk or on the couch? You are more likely to end up tired, and you probably will store more calories (fuel) from your meal as body fat. This is because you are not heeding your body's natural capacity and need for movement.

The average person spends about 4 to 4 ? hours each day watching television. And this does not count or include time watching DVDs, playing video games or surfing the internet. Increasing evidence suggests this prolonged entertainment viewing lowers metabolism and puts on the pounds of body fat. The unhealthy relationship between TV and body fat gain seems to become magnified at the 3 hour-a-day and past this mark.

Of course, we can't blame our sedentary and inactive ways on TV and technology alone. Our typical lifestyles seem to encourage inertia. We drive instead of walk and we sit instead of standing. We have mainly desk jobs instead of a job that involves manual labor. This has become the predominant pattern for almost half of the world's population, and this includes children. So we are simply teaching them our sedentary ways. This may have something to do with the prediction that children been born today will have a 20 -30 year lessened lifespan. Not a good legacy to leave them is it?

You see to remain healthy you must continually activate your physical energy as your metabolism relies on the signals that you sent it. Unless you learn how to use these signals your overall vigor and vitality will noticeably wane and may all but disappear.

When you activate your energy with proper physical movement at regular intervals throughout the day, you sustain a consistently high metabolism. This produces a wide range of benefits, including:

Maximum body fat burning throughout the body

Peak energy levels, physical vigor and mental drive

Enhanced ability to handle pressure and stress

Increased confidence and resourcefulness in facing challenges

Improved self regulation of mood and happiness

Deeper sleep and better quality rest

Increased stamina all day long

Every one of your body systems and processes functions best when activity and motion are integral parts of your daily regimen. Without them, you will likely gain weight and lose your-get-up-and-go. But apart from this, there is hidden damage as well. Muscles atrophy (waste away), which interferes with your body's ability to make energy and burn fat. And to make matters worse, people who sit or are inactive for long periods are likely to feel depressed and anxious more often than those who engage in regular proper exercise.

It is really important that we shake off this attitude of laziness and participate in a regular exercise program that includes strength training exercise. Fitting this into your lifestyle doesn't necessarily have to include a massive change in how you live your life. It can be a simple change that takes only fifteen to thirty minutes a session, two to three days a week.

To include exercise into your lifestyle, ask the help of a fitness professional in order to determine what you should do and how you should do it. Within a few short months not only will you feel better but you will look great, too.