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Six simple steps towards getting fit

Self motivation is key; believing that if you were the last person left on earth, you would still be able to get yourself as fit and healthy as possible without the aid of anyone else.

To begin, you need a suitable routine which you believe if you push yourself you will be able to stick to. This routine shouldn't be complicated, and should involve one type of exercise to begin with. Just to be clear, not having enough time is not an excuse. There is always enough time, you just have to make it. Your routine can start light, as long as you're prepared to step it up a gear as time goes on. Go for a run every other day for 2 weeks; preferably early in the morning when your muscles have had some rest overnight. Make sure the run is between 1 mile to 2 miles long. If you wish, buy an mp3 player or an ipod so you can listen to music while you run/jog. After these 2 weeks, do the same run, but every day instead of every other day.

Secondly, find an activity which is a form of exercise that you enjoy. It's great when you can find an exercise which doesn't actually feel like exercise. Activities such as dancing, mountain biking, swimming or even rock climbing are all activities which many people love to do just for fun, but these activities are also great forms of exercise. Once you've decided on your activity, ensure you'll be able to do at least 2 one-hour sessions a week, this may mean signing up for a membership at your local gym for swimming etc. This exercise should be enjoyed, and you shouldn't stress over feeling you have to do it. If it means you need to look further to find a physical activity you enjoy doing, so be it.

The next step sounds too simple to have any effect on you; but it really will. A tip to getting fitter is to walk as much as possible, even if it's literally just a few steps at a time. Whenever you move, you're burning a small amount of calories, so do as much as you can to keep yourself on your feet. For example, when you need to nip down to the shops, don't drive, and instead take a ten minute walk. Also, if you ever finding yourself sitting around for more than ten minutes, take a minute walk to keep your body moving. This may sound too little and simple to actually do anything, but every little counts, and every time you go on a little walk, you're burning some calories.

Now that you've acquired a body used to general exercise on a daily routine, the next step is to focus on exercising particular parts of your body, helping your body to better fitness. These exercises are still simple steps to take, so don't worry too much. Begin by focusing on your arms; there are a couple of simple exercises which you can do which will tone and strengthen your arms. The idea here is to use a form of cardio that mainly involves the muscles in your arms. Such exercises are rowing (can be on a rowing machine) and skipping. Do each of these exercises for around 20 minutes to really get your muscles pumping. Doing a cardio workout for your arms along with some light weight work can really tone your arms well, so don't be afraid to do some bicep curls, tricep dips and hammer curls as well. Do a few sets of around 20 repetitions for each exercises using weights.

After you've worked on your arms, it's time to move on to your legs. Once again these exercises are simple and easy to do. They'll also work on toning and strengthening particular muscles in your legs. Just like with your arms, its key when trying to tone muscles to go for a cardio workout focused on a particular part of your body. Spinning is great, as it doesn't just tone your legs, it also firms your hip area. The only problem here is that most people have to sign up to a spinning class to be able to do this. There are however a couple of cardio exercises for your legs which you can do at home, and here's a simple one anybody can try. For this exercise, you simply need a staircase. Stand on the second step, and place your hands on your hips, or even out in front of you. Then slowly step your left foot down and lightly touch the floor with the ball and toes of your foot, and then bring it back up to the second step. Repeat this fifteen times, then do the same with your right foot. Do five sets of fifteen for each foot. When going between left to right foot, take a short rest of around ten seconds. When doing this exercise, you should feel a burn in your calves, but this will tell you that the exercise is working.

The last part of your body to focus on is your abdominals. Most men dream of having a perfect ripped six pack, and most women desire a slim, flat and toned stomach. It's certainly not easy though, so to begin with, use some easy to do stomach exercises for easy toning of your abs. These exercises apply for both men and women, as they are simply toning your abs, not building muscle. To begin with though, I cannot stress enough that for men, you cannot build any muscle on your abs until you have burnt off those extra fats around your belly. A nice and easy exercise to begin with; sit on a mat on the floor and bend your knees, and place your feet flat on the floor. Now cross your arms over your chest. Bend your head and shoulders towards your chest. Slowly lean back until you feel your muscles contract. Stay in this position for around five seconds; then return to the original position. Repeat this exercise ten times. But if you feel any discomfort, stop. Another simple exercise for your abs is to first, lie down on a mat, then bend your knees and place your feet flat on the mat. Put your hands behind your head and rise up slowly. Wait a few seconds; then slowly lie back down. Repeat this 10 times. As noted before, if you feel pain or discomfort at any point, stop.

With reference to steps 4, 5 and 6, complete these exercises every day, as they are quick and easy to do. Asking yourself to complete an exercise program everyday may sound hard, but it really is easier than it sounds, just push yourself a little bit. Completing these six steps when stated really will get you on your way to being a fitter and healthier you! Remember though, it really is all down to you, believe in yourself and with this help you really will achieve results.

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