Everywhere I turn there are loud ads with too many exclamation points promising perfect “glamour muscles.” Hey men, look here back and biceps / chest and arms !!! Hey ladies, want perfect abs and a great butt?!

Talk to just about anyone who really knows fitness and you will hear about the importantance of total body routines.  Building strong muscles helps in lots of ways: they are better for your heart because muscles don’t require as much oxygen, they protect your joints and your back to help you avoid injury, and they are key to keeping a high metabolism.

In fact, did you know exercising when you are young increases your bone density and size for the rest of your life? Recent findings show that early exercise could reduce your risk of osteoporosis later in life.

Another great thing about exercise: a panel of specialists say that it has a “significant impact” on the physical functioning and quality of life of cancer patients and survivors.

And there’s more … it helps reduce chronic disease risk in college students, it helps with alcohol dependence, and it will help you fall less (which is actually a significant source of injury in the US).

So get exercising!

How do you exercise? Have you always worked all your muscle groups, or have you ever focused on a glamour muscle? Do you notice a difference in your life when you exercise more?