A little education is one way to make getting fit less frustrating and confusing. You do not need to devote huge blocks of time to learning about fitness, either; even the quickest glance through the resources on the subject can deliver very useful information. This article will share just a few of the quick ideas that could boost your fitness IQ considerably.

Make an exercise schedule and stick to it, this will improve the results of your overall fitness experience. Sticking to a schedule encourages the habit.

When starting a new exercise regime, have a plan! Make a list of your goals in an exercise journal. Choose a workout that you enjoy, and begin by performing a low intensity version of this. With each week, increase the intensity and add an extra five minutes to your workout. Remember to make a note of your progress in your exercise journal, as this will only encourage you to stick with the plan.

When choosing an exercise routine, choose something that you enjoy doing. If you enjoy doing the routine, chances are you will stick to it. If you dread your routine, you will continually make excuses as to why you can’t or don’t want to get in your workout for the day.

Lifting weights should be a large part of any fitness program. Weight lifting will help build muscle mass and muscle burns more calories then fat, so losing weight will be an easier goal to achieve. Weight lifting also helps to build strength and is a boost to the metabolism.

Stretches should be performed before you begin your exercise and afterwards to cool the muscle from intense performance. When stretching, it is best to hold a position for 15 to 30 seconds and try not to bounce during the hold. Bouncing will force the muscle to hit a tendon or body part unnecessarily and may cause injury.

Try exercising during TV shoes to keep yourself going. You can walk all the way through, or do sets of simple exercises like jumping jacks or sit-ups on commercial breaks. While you are sitting on the sofa, you can even work with light weights. You can always squeeze exercise in somewhere.

You want your muscles to be strong and tone, but you also want them to be limber. Stretching your muscles is important, and will help your muscles to stay limber. If you happen to be under forty, hold stretches for thirty seconds. In the case you are over forty hold your stretches for sixty seconds since your muscles are less pliable.

Dress right to stay fit. Clothing has a direct impact on our exercise psyche. Not only should you choose appropriate clothes for working out. You should insure the clothes you are wearing in your everyday tasks aren’t a deterrent to your grabbing a few minutes of exercise here and there. If they aren’t appropriate for even moderate exercise like walking rounds in the mall then perhaps you should reconsider your choice.

While horseback riding visualize your legs extending all the way through the stirrups to the ground. This technique will give you a better seat and allow you stay in the saddle even in the roughest terrain. Combine this visualization with a deep seat where you position yourself far back in the saddle and your confidence level will shine.

As you get older your muscles become significantly less flexible, which increases the risk that your muscles will become painfully strained. If you are younger than 40, you should try to hold each stretching position for at least 30 seconds. After 40, increase the holding time to a full minute. This will keep your muscles pliable and strain-free.

If you want to have bigger calf muscles, you should do both seated and standing calf raises because you will achieve better results. This is because the calves are made of two different muscles. You have to do both straight-leg and bent-leg raises in order to hit both of these muscles.

Once your personal fitness routine is underway, you will discover that your education on the subject is never finished. This is a good thing. Continual learning is helpful and even necessary to maintain and improve your fitness results and to help you stay committed. When the knowledge you gain pays off so well, you will start to love the learning process.