Keep a Log - Write your goals down and keep an activity log to make sure your health and fitness program stays on track. Remember that you should always consult a doctor before starting any new fitness program. The American College of Sports Medicine has established the following guidelines for a safe and productive weekly program:

Cardiovascular Goals - For general health improvement, adults should engage in 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. The 30 minutes can be broken up into smaller segments throughout the day.

Charting Your Program - Once you have decided on your overall fitness goal and your weekly workout plan, you need to log it, to make sure that you are sticking to the program. Your fitness chart should also include some reminders of where you started and how far you have come.
For example, if your goal is weight loss, jot down your weekly weight or measurements. If you're trying to improve your muscle tone, take some pictures or make some notes to size up what is happening over the designated training period.

Attitude - Don't be discouraged if you miss an intended workout or have a bad week. Instead, work harder the following week. And keep in mind that staying fit is a lifelong process that takes place in small, daily steps.

Tips for Forming an Exercise Habit:
• Find a friend to work out with; you will help keep each other motivated.
• Try working out at different times of the day. Write down how you feel emotionally and physically before
  the activity immediately after and several hours later.
• Keep fitness and healthy-eating articles, magazines and books around for down time reading.
  Put exercise at the top of your to do list.

Your pulse rate taken immediately after exercise indicates the intensity the difficulty - of your aerobic workouts. To receive long-term cardiovascular benefit, keep your exercise pulse rate within levels 4 and 5.

The first step in achieving and maintaining health is taking personal responsibility. In this context, responsibility means choosing a healthful alternative over a less harmful one. If you want to be healthy, simply make healthful choices. The second step is taking the appropriate action to achieve the result you desire. Achieving and maintaining good health is usually quite easy if an individual follows basic principals: Positive mental attitude, a healthful diet, and exercise. Trying to sell people on health is often difficult. In order to be healthy, one needs commitment. The reward is not easily seen or felt. It is usually not until the body fails us in some manner that we realize we haven't taken care of it. Ralph Waldo Emerson said "The first wealth is health." The reward for most people who maintain a positive mental attitude, eat a healthful diet, and exercise regularly is a healthy life filled with levels of energy, joy, vitality, and a tremendous passion for living.

Running - Running is high impact exercise (high compression on the joints) and is recommended for intermediate and advanced fitness level exercisers. Running will enhance the muscular strength and muscular endurance levels of the mid-torso muscle (abdominals and lower back) and lower body's muscle groups (hip, gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves).

Incorporating a modified swinging motion (forward and backwards) with the arms will help increase the exerciser's heart rate level and tone the muscles of the upper arms and shoulders. Holding weights in the hands will increase the tone of the upper arm muscles and shoulder muscles.
The speeds and incline levels for running are determined by the exerciser's fitness level and target heart rate zone. Increasing the speed and/or incline level will increase the difficulty level for the exerciser. It is recommended that the exerciser stay within their target heart rate zone.

Cycling - Cycling is low impact exercise (low compression on the joints) and is recommended for any fitness level exercisers.

Cycling will enhance the muscular strength and muscular endurance levels of the mid torso muscle ( abdominals and lower back) and lower body's muscle groups ( hips, gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.)

We all have made some kind of investment in our life. Some may have proved to be a "plus" and others a "bust". Investing in your health is like buying an inexpensive form of "health insurance". Best of all, it will continue to give you great pleasure and satisfaction. When you exercise regularly and correctly you LOOK-AND-FEEL BETTER