Whether your goal is to stay fit and healthy or you are trying to get back into shape for the first time in years, it’s important to have a good understanding of the key elements of physical fitness. This article will help give you such a grounding so you can get the most from your workouts.

When designing your fitness program, focus on strength and endurance, not just muscle mass. Increasing muscle mass doesn’t make you healthier and it doesn’t make you more attractive. Better fitness comes from a well-rounded exercise program that will increase your functional strength, raise your heart rate on a regular basis, and increase your lung capacity.

A sports bar, eaten 15 minutes before you work out, is an effective way to charge your energy. While it is not a good idea to eat a heavy meal right before working out, a sports bar can give you the same energy that a full meal would and hits your system much faster.

Listen to your body when exercising. A little muscle soreness here and there is quite normal, especially if you have started a new kind of workout. Continuous pain is a different matter altogether. It is your body’s way of telling you that you have overdone things, and are in danger of injuring yourself, maybe seriously. Rather than self-medicating with aspirin or another type of pain reliever, visit your doctor.

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.

No matter what level of fitness you are currently at or what your fitness goals are, you can still benefit from the advice that you’ve learned from this article. By putting these proven methods to work, you’ll soon be getting better results when you exercise. Before long, you’ll be in great shape!