Exercise is about priorities. An exercise routine is usually down the list unless you’re one of those dedicated people.

Don’t let your exercise time get hijacked by weather, schedule changes or bad attitude. It's important to make this a part of your life routine.

Any time is a good time to start. Being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight is good practice for all age groups. Make it a practice to get some exercise every day. Children, teens, adults, and seniors - all can improve their health and well-being and have fun by including moderate amounts of physical activity in their daily lives. Start easy - there’s nothing to be gained by rushing things. The real benefit is a life-long routine of physical fitness.

There are many different ways to go about it. Try for exercise routines that are varied. Try for a variety that will benefit all major muscle groups. Doing the same thing every day can be boring and is less beneficial. A good bench mark is about 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise. Less is ok - better than being sedentary. Exercising longer will reap more benefits.

Make it a habit - like brushing your teeth. Really, the best time to exercise is when you can realistically count on the time to do it. If you need to make a resolution to get started and New Year’s is long gone pick another important event - a birthday will work.

Here are some general recommendations. The hour just before the evening meal is a popular time for exercise. The late afternoon workout provides a welcome change of pace at the end of the work day and helps dissolve the day’s worries and tensions.

Another popular time to work out is early morning, before the work day begins. Advocates of the early start say it makes them more alert and energetic on the job.

Among the factors you should consider in developing your workout schedule are personal preference, job and family responsibilities, availability of exercise facilities and weather.

It’s important to schedule your workouts for a time when there is little chance that you will have to cancel or interrupt them because of other demands on your time.

You should not exercise strenuously during extremely hot, humid weather or within two hours after eating. Heat and/or digestion both make heavy demands on the circulatory system, and in combination with exercise can be an overtaxing double load.

Fitness - Let’s Get Going
A couple of thoughts on fitness and how to go about an exercise routine. The decision to take up an exercise program is the first step but how important is step 2?