These are good articles as now that I've decided exercise is all important, the next question is "what kind of exercise, and how much". As you said, cardio apparently takes you only so far, and strength training needed for critical muscle mass (among other things).

Funny thought about merits of exercise versus diet...Q: "What foods must Michael Phelps eat when training for the Olympics?" A: "Pretty much whatever he wants, as he's burning over 10,000 calories a day". Corollary: "He does need to worry about what he eats if he ever STOPS training"