Recent studies have shown that when people are given specific strategies to improve their activity levels, their motivation is higher than people that are starting out on their own without useful information to change their behaviors about exercise. The following strategies are simple, yet action-oriented to get you started on implementing a fitness program into your life.

When you’re looking to increase your overall fitness, give your body adequate breaks between workouts. One common mistake people make, is working their abdominal muscles daily. However, fitness experts warn that your abdominal muscles should only be worked two to three times a week, in order to promote proper muscle development and minimize the risk of strain.

When beginning a new fitness routine, it is important to ease yourself into it. This will give your body time to become accustomed to it, and will lessen the chance of injuring yourself. Also, you are more likely to stick to the routine if you start with something that is easily achievable. Once you get used to the exercise, you can increase the intensity and length of time.

When you are working out, keep your weight training time to under sixty minutes. After an hour of weight training, your body will start to produce more cortisol, which is the stress hormone that can block the testosterone needed to build muscles. This will waste the muscles instead of build them.

Taking advantage of seasonal sports can make fitness much more entertaining and rewarding. If you’re in a region that receives a lot of snow on the winter, try your hand at skiing. During the summer, go for a long swim every day. Seasonal sports give you something to look forward to, making exercising more fun.

Staying on your fitness program is the single-most important gift you can give yourself and family. By significantly increasing your activity levels, the pay-off will be that you will feel better, look better, and the exercise will increase your energy level. Give yourself the gift of health by implementing a fitness and exercise plan into your life.