First, assess your beginning fitness level by recording baseline scores for your aerobic and muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition. Record the following:

number of push-ups you can do at one time
time it takes to walk 1 mile
pulse rate before and after a 1-mile walk
how far you can reach to touch your toes while seated on the floor

Second, plan your fitness program by simply blocking out time to do some exercise. You can let the time vary from week to week, and day to day. As you plan, keep in mind your fitness goals. Are you trying to lose weight? Do you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle? Are you preparing for a marathon? Then, as you block out time to accommodate your workouts, schedule it in your planner as a standing appointment. Sticking to a routine time of day helps, whether it is early in the morning before work or in the evening after work. If you work from home, it could be an afternoon break. Whether at your home or gym, perhaps you want to plan your time around your favorite show while walking on the treadmill. You also can plan your alternative exercise around visiting with family or friends while hiking, biking or walking together. For variety, if you work out in the evenings during the weekdays, work out in the mornings on the weekends.

As far as planning the length of your exercise time, Mayo Clinic suggests that, per week, adults should aim for at least 2 and a half hours (150 minutes) of moderate aerobic activity, or 1 and a quarter hour (75 minutes) of vigorous aerobic activity. Also, adults should include two or more sessions of strength training per week. If you don’t have time to do all your exercise at one time, then do shorter, more-frequent workouts with aerobic benefits. On some days, fifteen minutes of exercise twice a day may fit into your schedule better than a single 30-minute session. If you’re just beginning to exercise, plan to progress cautiously. If you are an older adult, have an injury or a medical condition, and have consulted your doctor or physical therapist first, then design a program that gradually addresses and improves your range of motion, endurance and strength.

Third, gather all the items you need, like your personal equipment or proper athletic shoes for your activities. Also consider details, like your workout bag, towel and lock for the gym locker. If you can afford it, hire a personal trainer at least once a week, it is well worth the investment. He or she can motivate you to work harder than you might if left on your own. A personal trainer can also recommend devices like bands, balls and bars that work well at home. If you have room in your house and have the time, energy and money to do it, you can define a home workout space or your own home gym. A trainer might suggest equipment for a home gym, and help you train on it once it is acquired. Additionally, if you’re investing in home gym equipment, try out different types of equipment at a fitness center before your purchase and consider buying used equipment. Then, get your music devices and headsets for playing motivating, high-energy music during your workouts. Also plot out an end reward like a healthy drink or a tasty health bar.

Fourth, now you’re ready for action. Warm up with easy walking or gentle stretching. Later, speed up to continue for five to ten minutes without getting overly tired. As your stamina improves, gradually increase the amount of time you exercise to work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

Vary your exercise from day to day, like going to the gym one day, taking a class on another, working out with a trainer on the next day, and working out at your home gym on another day. This will diversify your type of exercise too, from yoga to strength training to a purchased workout program. Cross-training can keep exercise from being boring as well as reducing your chances of injuring or overusing one specific muscle or joint. Alternate activities also will emphasize different muscles and parts of your body, such as bicycling or swimming. Each day you can do something different and it may be as easy as walking after dinner, or more challenging like biking up and down a hilly neighborhood. It can be as fun as a weekend hike with your family or an evening out dancing at a club.

Fifth, monitor your progress. A written plan of your varied exercises throughout the week, and a notation regarding time spent, repetitions or weights used in a single workout will keep you on track. This should be encouraging as you raise your “reps” and weights. Every six weeks or several months, review your plan and your fitness level (time and heart rate to walk 1 mile, etc.). Issues may become clear. Do you need to increase your workout time, your reps or your weights? Do you need to add more hikes, stretching or weight-lifting? If you’re losing motivation, try a new activity, like exercising with a friend, hiring a trainer or taking a class at a fitness center. Or, kudos, perhaps you’re exercising just right for your fitness goals!

No Pain, No Gain?

Pace yourself and plan time between sessions for your body to rest and recover, especially as you begin. This is a plan for a long-term commitment, so don’t start out zealously then give up when your muscles and joints become sore or injured. Organize an easy walk, a swim or some yoga stretching on a few days in between muscle-straining workouts. Exercise releases toxins as well as those wonderful endorphins. Toxins often make you feel sick with flu-like aches and nausea, as toxins make their way out of your system. Take it easy on yourself. If you feel dizzy, short of breath, or nauseous, take a break. If a muscle or joint feels pain, stop or take it easy. In fact, it’s okay to take a day or two off.

Starting an exercise program can be an overwhelming decision, but it can become as routine as brushing your teeth. For the small time investment of a mere 30 to 60 minutes a day, your varied exercise can reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your balance and coordination, help you lose or maintain weight, gain strength and endurance, increase muscle tone, and, particularly, it can improve your mood, alleviate stress, improve your sleep habits and improve your self-esteem.

Varied exercise can help both your body and your mind. It can be that fun time of day, either by yourself or with friends, that gives you the energy and endurance to handle both your physical and mental challenges. So set aside your time each day and organize your life for these fun and beneficial activities. With careful planning and pacing yourself, you can establish a healthy routine that sustains a lifetime.

The starting point in choosing the best exercise routines for women is determining what your goals are. You will have to consider whether you want to focus on muscle building, weight loss or you just want to achieve better fitness and health. As most women tend to focus on weight loss and men on muscle development, there will always be differences in finding the best exercise routines for women.

Strength / Weight Training.

Many women tend to avoid strength training, thinking that it will give them a more masculine muscle look. This is certainly not always the case. By using the best exercise routines for women you can get a body without bulk that is nicely toned. Not only will you retain your shapely female form, you will also build lean muscle and burn off those extra calories that have been hard to shift.

Cardio Training

A high number of women will stick to a cardio workout routine and some are successful with their weight loss. When combined with a good strength training workout, cardio can play a big part in your body fitness Regular cardio workouts will help to keep your heart healthy and increase your metabolism. Cardio routines can be practiced almost anywhere, in your home and at work, without expensive gym equipment. When choosing the best exercise routine you should focus on one that will ensure you reach all your goals, while giving you enjoyment and most importantly be fun. A lot of people try to get fit but often fail and do not reach their goals due to poor instruction and direction from the trainer.

The P90X2 program, the sequel to the popular P90X, will drastically change your view to exercise routines. The P90X2 program concentrates on all aspects of fitness training, including cardio, weight training and diet and nutrition. For these reasons alone you should have a good look at P90X2 if you are seriously looking for one of the best exercise routines for women and men combined. The core principle of the P90X2 program is consistently exercising. If you are exercising on a consistent level, you will see better muscle building and you will burn calories and fat at a faster rate.

P90X2 is different from many other exercise programs for women on the market today due to the unique technique of “muscle confusion”. Muscle confusion tricks the muscles and stops them adapting to regular routines by varying the workouts. This eliminates one of the biggest fitness obstacles, the plateau. The muscle confusion theory combined with a multitude of various exercise routines provides a diverse and entertaining exercise routine for all types of people. Exercise routines consist of weight and strength training, yoga, cardio and many other workouts that are easy to follow and fun to do. The P90X2 program also helps those persons with specific targets to arrive at their goal. The program can be tweaked and twisted to help people, whatever their fitness level.

1) Pick a Cause and Get a Buddy

Training for a specific event is a great way to get you started on a regular exercise routine, and what could be better to keep your training on track than having a buddy or support group prodding you along. I’ve taken this idea to heart through my bike training with my new favorite riding partner, my daughter! Even though she’s only a year old, she frequently crawls to where her bicycle helmet is stored, pointing and shouting out in delight. It is hard for me to not take her for rides because it makes her so happy! By maintaining a daily routine and doing it with a friend, exercise doesn’t seem like a chore as much as simply part of your schedule, like getting ready for work or preparing a meal.

2) Baby Steps

Lao Tzu told us that “the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step”, so start with small goals. Swim for 10-15 minutes a day or ride your bike once around the block or simply walk to your local grocery store or a friend’s house. This idea applies to your diet as well as activities you want to take on, in the end a good diet will help you keep your exercise effective. Don’t worry about revamping your whole diet all at once, but start with something simple. For example, one of the most common things I see in my practice is folks skipping breakfast, which sets you up for eating larger lunches or reaching for the first food item you can find when you’re starving, whether it’s a healthy choice or not. Instead of trying to completely redesign your diet, which can be quite a daunting task, try to routinely eat a healthy breakfast. Whether it’s a couple of eggs with a veggie mixed in or whole grain toast with sugar-free nut butter (peanut or almond, for example) or steel-cut oats with flaxseeds, almonds and blueberries. Early-morning fuel is critical for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and providing you with the energy to get your day started off on the right track.

3) Turn Off That TV!

A little TV watching is just fine. It is when TV watching becomes a daily and long-lasting activity that the true negative effects on your health take place. Did you know that as little as 45-minutes a day of TV watching can cause weight gain and decreased cardiovascular function? In other words, too much TV can make you fat and your heart less healthy. Plus, with all our busy schedules, spending time watching TV not only makes your health potentially worse, but it is time you could have been using to exercise! Yet, not all TV is bad as there are wonderful exercise, cooking and podcast videos out there that can be great sources of information and motivation. Many TV channels have great exercise programs you can tune into, or keep your mat, weights, exercise ball or other equipment right by the TV, and if you have to watch your shows, do it while you work out. Plus, as an added benefit, you’re now mixing up your exercise routine so your body will be constantly adapting and getting stronger, and your time spent exercising is even more efficient.

4) Be a Good Bookkeeper

It is tough to know if you’re on the right track when you’re not sure how you’re progressing day-to-day. This is where keeping a journal of both your activities and what you’re eating throughout the day can be a great tool. I recommend at least a week of good record keeping so you can get a baseline before you start a new routine. This will easily show you potential areas for improvement. When you see it in writing you’ll be amazed what you learn and almost immediate see ways to get started implementing your healthier lifestyle changes. Once you have that first week down, it’s time to start incorporating your healthy new changes, but not time to stop journalling. Keep track of your new activities, time you spend on them, foods consumed and when… be sure to record your weight weekly, and perhaps make a note of any emotional eating if this is a problem for you. Remember, a good diet always helps an exercise program. And journalling can be an especially effective tool when trying to connect reasons for emotional eating. You can see correlations with times of the day, events, do you eat regular small meals so you are not starving later, do you reward yourself with food after exercising… you’ll see all kinds of data that could trigger your emotional eating, and recognition is the first step towards changing this behavior.

5) Keep at It

There are literally hundreds of studies suggesting that an exercise routine will provide you with slow, steady, long-lasting fitness and weight loss. When you establish a predictable pattern with both your exercise and your diet, your body will be primed to achieve true health. You only have to do a new activity for somewhere between 21-35 days in a row for it become a “habit” and much easier to maintain. Plus, the vast majority of people who have successfully established a healthy lifestyle and reached their goal weight say it gets easier with time. So stick with it! I promise the combination of feeling better physically and mentally will provide you with the motivation to stay the course and feel the best you’ve felt in years!

So, get to know a new friend in the neighborhood, set a few small but attainable goals, limit your TV watching, journal all your new lifestyle details and don’t give up! You’ll be instilled with a sense of empowerment and accomplishment that will bring you to a new level of wellness; one that will help you be a better you in every aspect of your life!

The problem is that it can get expensive very quickly and with our busy lifestyles, it can be hard to squeeze everything in. Paying monthly gym membership fees and constantly splashing out on exercise machines and special supplements adds up very quickly, so why not make a large saving and simply look after your health at home?

There are a number of websites across the internet that sell health ebooks, effective diet plans and exercise routines. These can be purchased very cheaply with a one-off payment and then you can put these into effect as often as you want from the comfort of your own home without any additional cost.

Being healthy at home is simpler than you think. It firstly starts with diet. Follow a balanced diet, with approximately 2000 calories per day for a female and 2500 calories per day for a male, will help you to maintain a healthy weight while absorbing all the nutrition that you need to keep in tip-top condition. Simple diet plans can be purchased very cheaply that will help you advise what foods and requirements you specifically require depending on your age and amount of activity.

Exercise is important but you do not need any expensive equipment to keep healthy. Walking just 30 minutes per day can be enough to make a big difference and if you then combine this with some simple exercises such as sit-ups and press-ups can keep muscles tones and joints healthy while also helping to maintain a good cardiovascular system which will help keep your heart healthy.

One of the most important things to remember when it comes to staying healthy at home is one simple word; Variation. Having the odd snack or treat every now and then is fine and taking a day or two off of exercise here and there will not cause any damage either. As long as you vary your diet, vary your routines and have everything in moderation, you can prolong your life and keep yourself healthy with a lot less effort and expense than you think.

Try picking up some simple diet programs and basic exercise routines and then follow them as much as you can. Following a diet program 6 days a week and having one day for treats works great. With an exercise routine, try following it between two to four times per week and give yourself at least three days off. This way nothing will become too boring and you can easily incorporate it into your daily life at home.

The Healthy Living Mall offers a huge range of ebooks and resources concerning how live a long and healthy life. They have everything from ebooks about diet and exercise through to resources on specific nutrition and conditions.

6 – VARIETY BRINGS WELCOME STIMULATION

Obviously too much repetition, especially with long workouts, can lead to boredom. Remember, the sense of routine is important, but do not misunderstand this to infer that you should stick to the same program design for all eternity. It applies to the “consistency” in working out. In the larger realm of things, cycling your exercise routines is a good way to keep your fitness program stimulating and interesting. Build in some variety into your workouts. Even your muscles tend to get bored with the same workout routine or order of exercises. Try reversing or alternating exercise types in successive workouts, not only for variety, but also to keep your muscles “thinking.”

I revise my workout programs monthly. I additionally build in a low-impact month after each 3-month period to alleviate any possible sense of boredom and maximize my recovery. This useful “mini layoff” keeps me interested, and gets me eager to come back for more success.

7 – MUSIC TO SET THE MOOD

I appreciate background music when I train, but I personally avoid the use headphones when I do my weight workouts. It goes without saying that if you are handling heavy weights, you need to be perfectly attuned to your body, breathing and positioning to achieve proper results, as well as avoiding any possible accidents. Of course doing cardio presents less of a danger, aside from cycling or road running where traffic could pose risks to your safety. Use whatever works for you, but apply due caution and do it the sensible way.

8 – REST AND SLEEP

A hectic work schedule and little sleep unfortunately do not bode well for successfully fulfilling a workout program. You need to give your body adequate rest after your workouts to derive the benefits of physical exercise. One has to be sensible about this. Among the quickest ways to fall prey to colds and flu is by lowering your resistance through physical exertion and lack of sleep. And you will need even more if you’re following a tough workout program. Lack of sleep increases cortisol levels in the blood and compromises the efficacy of your natural antibodies.

9 – PICTURE IT

Photography is an excellent way to boost your morale and keep you on track with your exercise program. Naturally, you need to be doing your workouts regularly and eating well in order to progress and show the progress in your body condition. Comparing before and after photos is a tried and trusted method to keep commitment and motivation high.

10 – NO EXCUSES PLEASE

Excuses work as an interesting double-edged sword, and I know this from personal experience. Once you are actively partaking in a workout program and seeing results, you will better understand what this is all about. If you were previously inactive, you may recall how easy it was to use excuses for why you couldn’t work out like: I have no time, there’re too many other important commitments, or perhaps even the gym is too far and so forth.

Once you get active and become serious, you will find yourself making excuses for why you cannot miss your workout routines. In fact you will do almost anything to abide by your training schedule. If you can relate to this, it means you’re on the right track and making the most of your workout routines. Always try and stay focused so you use the correct edge.

So, with your decision to work out made, incorporate these tips and a small measure of commonsense into your health related fitness program. You’ll be getting better results and enriching your workout experience, making it fun and all the more worthwhile.

Cleto Tirabassi is a certified Fitness Trainer with the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). His work centers on the “sensible approach” to Health-Related Fitness, which entails the use of practical, flexible and sustainable methods to achieve optimal levels of health and physical fitness. His clientele belongs mostly to the group he calls “average everyday people”, who in short want to be in excellent shape, yet still lead a conventional life.

But there is a way to keep your waistline the same and still be able to join in the party. It will take some planning in advance, with goals and self-control included to have a worry free holiday. Here are some ways that you can stick to your diet and enjoy the holidays.

For most people, holidays are a good excuse to let your workout routine go. It is easy to think that it is ok to pig out when you have been so good the last week or month before. To start with, have the goal of sticking to your fitness routine right through the holidays.

By exercising less often and overeating during the holidays, your body is much more likely to store excess fat. It can be a case of going back to the beginning if you leave exercising for too long, so make the positive decision to stay in shape.

During the holiday season you will be surrounded by great looking food that will be tempting to eat, and tempt you to leave your workout routine behind. So allow yourself a cheat day to get your cravings out-of-the-way by treating yourself to any of these types of foods. But you must keep your fitness routine going at the same time.

You don’t need to feel guilty for eating holiday goodies on this cheat day because you have factored this into your fitness routine. Just line up this day with a holiday event. If you miss out on a day of exercise, don’t think too much about it but continue on as normal.

Keep another day aside during the holidays to focus on your motivational reason to continue with your workouts. And don’t supersize your food portions. Only eat higher calorie foods in moderation to avoid putting on weight.

If you have plans to eat a larger dinner, you can change your other meals to make room for your dinner. Have a smaller breakfast and lunch to compensate. Or try to eat the same amount as you would normally at dinner time to avoid having to change your regular pattern.

Everyone has choices, whatever situation you are in. So choose the best option at the time. If there is no healthy option, simply go with a smaller portion rather than a larger one.

1. Beware of sweets!
There is an abundance of cookies, cakes and other sugary snacks at home and work during the holidays. We all crave something sweet now and again but with so many counter-productive treats sitting within arm’s reach, you need to make a conscious effort to control that urge. Try fulfilling that sweet tooth with fruit!

2. Get enough sleep!
Add holiday shopping and parties onto your already busy schedule and sleep is even harder to come by. Help yourself (and those who will be around you) by having a solid time management system. This means you might have to set up your own curfew for late night parties or do more shopping online, but getting as close to eight hours of sleep a night as you can is important for your fitness and overall health.

3. Hydrate!
Cooler weather means dryer weather and we become dehydrated far faster. Make sure to drink plenty of water (especially if you’ve been drinking alcohol).

4. Stay away from the break room!
Co-workers have a tendency to bring in baked goods to share during the holidays. The longer you hang out in the break room and graze the goodies, the more times just “half a cookie” will add up. Do yourself the favor and just avoid being around them at all. Or if you must, already have a healthy snack in hand to keep your taste buds distracted!

5. Stay consistent with your workout routine!
Again, our schedules can get overwhelmed over the holidays with parties and other special activities. It’s vital you keep as close to your normal workouts as possible to keep your body in a regular state. Keeping your endorphins pumped up will keep your mood positive and help get through the stress of the season that could otherwise lead to poor choices.

6. Watch your alcohol intake!
Don’t let all the holiday parties be an excuse to drink more than you usually do. A drink or two spread out over a couple hours is ok for an adult of legal age, but be careful not to get caught up in the holiday spirit in a way that’s going to mess with the other items on this list (good sleep, hydration, healthy eating, consistent workouts).

7. Portion control!
The sight of a buffet style meal has the ability to throw our plate loading skills into overdrive. Be careful to keep healthy portion sizes even if there are triple the amount of choices to choose from.

8. Careful about couch time!
Without question, some of the greatest sporting events are held in the Fall and Winter. If you aren’t one of the lucky ones in attendance you will likely end up watching from the couch or at a sports bar. Consider watching your favorite team while walking on the treadmill or if you end up at a bar, skipping the beers for water and wings for salad. Remember the key is to stay consistent with your regular routine and not over indulge with food or excessive lounging.

9. Wash your hands!
The only thing worse than feeling stressed during the holidays is to get sick in the middle of this time of year. Make sure you wash your hands often… it doesn’t make you weird, it keeps you healthy.

10. Take advantage of the time of year!
Fitness centers and gyms know how to capitalize on the New Year’s goals people will be making, you should too! Check into different places and programs to find the best deals of the year.

To maintain your health and make sure you achieve the 10,000 steps each day, here are some simple and easy exercises that you can do at home. These exercise routines not only help to keep you fit but also will tone your body as they work on some specific muscle groups. They are a lot more effective than the general exercises such as running errands and doing house chores. Here are the exercises you can easily do at home:

- Stretching exercises. Stand with both of your hands against a wall and move your left leg back so that your foot is flat against the floor. Hold for a few seconds; then repeat this move with the right leg. Another great stretching exercise you can perform is to lie on your back, use both hands, bring up your right knee to your chest and hold it for a few seconds. Repeat this routine with your left leg.

- Curl is very easy to do. Just lie on your back with both hands behind your head and raise your upper body. Repeat this move for 15-20 times.

- Leg exercises can be done by lying down on your side and lifting each leg repeatedly for 15-20 times. You can also stand and hold on to the back of a chair and lift your legs backward repeatedly.

- Arm exercises. This is important to improve muscle tone. For arm exercises, you can use an exercise band. Place both feet on one end of the band, hold the other ends with each hand and then repeatedly raise and lower the band (in an up and down motion for 10-15 minutes). If you have a pair of dumbbell, you can also use them to exercise your arms.

- If you are working at home and sitting in front of your computer most of the time, try to press down on your toes in an up and down motion frequently. This activity will help to keep the blood circulation flowing in your legs.

- If you know how to dance, put on a music CD and dance for about 20-30 minutes. This is a great cardiovascular workout. You can also incorporate push-ups, sit-ups and jumping rope into your daily home exercise routine.

If you start off overzealously, then you’ll end up getting sore, tired, and discouraged. If you decide to take up biking and go for a 10 mile bike ride the first time you go out, you’re going to be super uncomfortable the next day. And because of how uncomfortable you are, you probably won’t feel like going bike riding again, right? Therefore, if you do choose to go bike riding, start out moderately with a mile bike ride of a few miles and include a nice ware up and cool down period.

One of the smartest things that you can do when you first start working out is to get a health assessment with a fitness expert. You could go to the local YMCA to do this. Or, if there’s a health club nearby your house, that would be a great place to go as well. Getting a health assessment is a good idea given that it shows where you are physically. It will help you determine what kind of exercises that you’ll need to do in order to get fit.

The fitness expert will be able to map out a fitness plan for you to follow. For instance, they can help you understand how much cardio you should do vs. the weights that you should lift. They can even help you understand what you should eat and drink.

If you choose not to go the fitness expert route, that’s okay. However, you should still follow some type of fitness plan when you do workout. A nice way to find information on different plans is to just do research on the Internet. There are a number of sites that offer free advice that’s pretty easy to follow.

1. Steel your mind. Make your fitness routine a part of your life – just like brushing your teeth or taking a bath. Understand that if you’re fit you will be healthy and hence in a good position to take care of yourself and your family. This should be motivation enough. Set a particular time of the day for your routine and stick to it.

2. Your fitness training venue must be next to where you are. Sports centers, parks or gyms must be close to your home or office, depending on your exercise schedule. If the fitness center is far away, it will lead to wastage of time and loss of enthusiasm.

3. Choose a center that is neat and clean, well-equipped, and with clean and pleasant bathing areas. If you don’t like your gym, change it. The idea is to look forward to your fitness routine, not shy away from it.

4. Don’t get too aggressive. Exercise as much as the body can take. If you overdo it, you will harm your muscles and even develop medical complications. And, that will make you start hating exercise – which is so wrong! Check with your trainer about how much workout ifs right for your type of body.

5. Your goals should be realistic and achievable. If you set unachievable fitness goals, you will soon get disappointed, and then you may stop believing in the goodness of exercise. The big thing to keep in mind is that you’re working out to get fitter and not compete for the Mr. Universe crown.

6. Keep track of your progress. If you are doing it right, you’ll see improvements week after week, and these results will motivate you. Keeping track of your workout will also help you understand what’s working and what’s not and what needs correction.

7. Don’t perform the same routine every day because you may get bored. However, this does not apply if you are playing a sport – because every game is so different from the other. If you’re working out at the gym, then mix up your routine and ensure that all the muscles in your body get a workout over the week. If you’re a runner, then try and hit the swimming pool once a week or row once a week. Consult your trainer on how to mix up your fitness routine.

8. Finally, make an effort to keep going at your exercise program for the first three months. Once you’re through with the initial period, the fitness routine will become part of your DNA.