Fitness and exercise are an important part of leading a healthy life. People who exercise regularly have healthier hearts, and are less prone to problems related to obesity as well as depression and other mental illnesses. Read on to find out how you can set up your own fitness program and start to feel great!

Stretch problem areas more than those that are already flexible. This will loosen them up, even if not at first. If you leave these areas tight, it can lead to pain, especially if you exercise often. Take the time to stretch tight muscles before and after a workout and you’ll start to see them loosen.

Invest in a good pedometer to track the steps you are taking. A healthy goal per day is to get in 10,000 steps per day every day. Purchasing a pedometer will let you keep track of how you are doing and motivate you to make those changes to get more in. Treat it like a game and see if you can beat your best.

Use your workout equipment in an order to see maximum results. The order should be dumbbells first, regular barbells second and machines last. Doing exercises in this order will ensure that you don’t get fatigued too early in your workout, by engaging in the more labor-intensive equipment first. This also works your muscles out, from smaller to larger.

Setting goals for one to reach is an important tool to assist one in maintaining fitness levels. Depending on individuals desired goals can very from getting faster to getting stronger and all kinds of levels in between. However, the most useful thing about a goal is that it gives one something to aim for.

As you can see, staying fit isn’t as intimidating as it seems. Fitness is very important, and now you can join the millions of people who exercise and reap the health and mental benefits. Follow these simple fitness tips and you’ll be well on your way to looking, feeling, and being great!