Physical fitness is something that many of us think about at the beginning of every year, then struggle with briefly and sink back into our usual habits. Still, fitness is something that can be improved upon any time of year. Read on for some helpful hints you can start using right away.

It is vital to wear the right type of shoes designed for your specific workouts. Wearing inappropriate shoes can cause injury. Use running shoes for running, squash shoes for squash and dancing shoes for dancing. Plus, if you’re not wearing the proper footwear, your workouts are going to be uncomfortable and you won’t want to continue.

Test your bench before lifting on it. To do this, press your thumb into the bench you want to sit on. If you feel any wood, go to a different bench. This is because if the bench is too hard, it can cause T4 syndrome to occur in your spine while you are lifting your weights.

Hydration is essential to successful fitness routines. Excessive sweating can place stress on your cardiovascular system as well as decrease mental functioning and hand-eye coordination. To stay in top shape during your fitness activities, be sure to drink plenty of fluids before, during and after activities. Drinking beforehand helps your body start off with enough fluid to counteract some of the sweat loss while drinking during helps keep the hydration level high. Be sure to finish your fitness with some fluid in order to replace those that were lost.

New year’s resolutions and willpower were mentioned earlier in the article. However, it doesn’t matter when it is that you want to improve your fitness. Apply the advice from this article any time you want to get in better shape. You can start the path to a fitter, happier and healthier you any day.