A good goal for many people is to work up to exercising 4 to 6 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Talk to your doctor about how much exercise is right for you.

Start out slowly. If you’ve been inactive start your workout program slowly. Begin with a 10-minute period of light exercise and gradually increase how hard you exercise and for how long.

The following are some tips that will help you start and stick with a workout program:

• Get a partner. Exercising with someone else can make it more fun.

• Choose a comfortable time of day. Don’t work out when the climate is unbearable (too hot or cold), and don’t work out too soon after eating.
• Choose something you like to do. Make sure your workout program suits you physically. It is a good idea to discuss your program with your doctor.
• Vary your routine. You may be less likely to get bored or injured if you change your routine.
• Forget "no pain, no gain." A little soreness is normal after you first start exercising, pain isn’t. Stop if you hurt.
• Don’t get discouraged. It can take weeks or months before you notice some of the changes from a good workout program.
• Make exercise fun. Listen to music, watch TV, or read while stairclimbing, for example.

• Sign a contract committing yourself to a workout program.
• Put "exercise appointments" on your calendar.
• Stick to a regular time every day.
• Keep a daily log or diary of your activities.
• Check your progress.

• Start every workout with a warm-up. This will increase the flexibility with your muscles and joints.
• Spend 5 to 10 minutes doing some stretching exercises and light calisthenics. Do the same thing when you’re done working out-until your heart rate returns to normal.
• Pay attention to your body. Stop exercising if you feel dizzy, faint or nauseated, experience pain, or feel very out of breath.

• Helps to relieve stress and anxiety.
• Increase your energy and endurance.
• Helps you sleep better.
• Helps you maintain a normal weight by increasing your metabolism (the rate you burn calories).
• Reduces your risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
• Keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible so it’s easier to move around.
• Contributes to your mental well-being and helps treat depression.

Measing your heart rate (beats per minute) can tell you how hard your heat is working. You can check your heart rate counting your pulse for 15 seconds and multiplying the beats by 4.

Aerobic exercise is the type that moves large muscle groups and causes you to breathe more deeply and your heart to work harder to pump blood. It’s also called cardiovascular exercise. It improves the health of your heart and lungs.

Examples: jogging, running, walking, aerobic dance, bicycling, rowing, swimming and cross-country skiing.

The term weight-bearing is used to describe exercises that work against the force of gravity. Weight-bearing exercise is important for building strong bones. Having strong bones helps prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures later in life

Examples: walking, jogging, hiking, climbing stairs, dancing, and weight training.

Weight training, or strength training, builds muscles and strength. Lifting weights is a weight-training exercise. If you have high blood pressure or other health problems, talk to your family doctor before beginning weight training.

• During the first week of starting an exercise program keep it light. Work on technique-good body mechanics and slowly work up to heavier weights.
• The minimum amount of strength training recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine is eight to twelve repetitions of eight to ten exercises, at a moderate intensity, two days a week. You will get more overall gains with more days per week, sets and resistance, but the progression is one in which you must listen to your body.
• Strength training sessions are recommended to last one hour or less.
• As a general rule, each muscle that you train should be rested one to two days before being exercised further in order for the fatigued muscles to rebuild.
• Always maintain good body mechanics: go through the complete range of motion, move slowly and with control, breathe, and maintain a neutral spine. Never sacrifice form just to add more weight or repetitions.

This service area is designed to help USA Fitness Direct users obtain general information and guidance regarding health topics, and includes information compiled from a number of resources. Nothing in this area should be considered authoritative or complete, or medical or health advice. You should consult your physician or other health care professional before making any decision based upon the general information presented here.