Exercise!

Exercise is a great way to both keep your heart healthy and trim those extra pounds.

To be honest, I have not always been a health-orientated kind of guy. I would much prefer to have a lie in than get up and go for a run. Even now, I wouldn't call myself a 'health nut' or anything.

But recently I have been making a concerted effort to get more physical activity, and you know what - it's working!

I run for half an hour every morning at a good enough pace to get a bit of a sweat going and I feel my mood has improved while my body feels generally better.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not here to tell you all how great I am!

My point is, if I can do it, you can do it too - believe me!

Personally, I don't like the idea of gyms. I like to work out on my own at home. I mean, why pay $50 a month to some gym when you can get a pretty decent treadmill at home for around $250?

There are even a number of home exercise training regimes that you can take up to enable you to keep fit with a varied and rigorous programme at home.

Burning Fat

Most of us begin exercising because we want to lose weight. However, there are right and wrong ways to do this.

Many people think that if they simply get on a treadmill and run at a slow pace for an hour then they will lose pounds. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

The biggest amount of fat is burned when you are running at between 60 and 70% of your maximum heart rate.

You can use a heart rate calculator to work out what this figure will be.

However, the amount of fat you burn will be increased if you intersperse straight running with interval training.

Interval training is a process where you run at almost maximum capacity for a short time (say 1 minute) before jogging slowly to recover for a longer period (2 minutes).

This form of exercise increases your fat burning ability, as well as your endurance and lung capacity.

By mixing these two forms of exercise, you can be sure that you are giving your body the optimum opportunity to get fit and healthy.

Why not set yourself a training programme in order to really keep track of your results?

Get Out and About

Running not your thing? Not a problem! There are plenty of great ways to get exercise in the fresh air as well.

Why not join a local sports team? You don't have to play in the Superbowl or anything, but getting together a few times a week with some friends is a great way to keep fit.

Let's face it, you're more likely to stick with the exercise if you're having fun!

Cycling is also a great way to get fit, and can be incorporated into your daily routine with ease.

Ever thought about cycling to work and back every day?

You can ever arrange to go on cycling holidays where you can see great parts of the US that you perhaps might not visit otherwise.

Of course, it might be a good idea to train a little before booking any of these holidays, for which you would probably need to get your own exercise bike. You will also need the right biking equipment.

If you have a family, why not undertake exercise that can be enjoyed by everyone?

A doubles match of tennis is a great way to get the kids interested in physical activity, and what child doesn't like a good swim now and then?

Safety

Although it is important to exercise regularly, it is also important take care while you are doing it.

The majority of injuries such as strained muscles can be avoided if you stretch properly both before and after exercise.

Various guides on how to stretch can always be found if you are unsure on the best way to do this.

Similarly, it is important that you do not push yourself too far, especially when starting out with exercise.

Listen to your body - if you feel like you are starting to injure yourself, slow down.

It is also important that you warm up AND cool down when doing physical activity. Putting the body under the strain of intense exercise without doing so properly is very bad for you.

Supplements and muscle powders are also a helpful way to maintain your body's shape and strength, along with energy drinks.

These products refill your body with some of the vital fluids and chemicals that you lose through sweating and breathing. They also make you feel good as new after a work out!

While being safe is vital while you exercise, probably the most important thing you can do is to make sure you are having fun!

This will ensure that you keep up with your exercise regime, even when you don't really want to!