To increase your chances of success, design your personal workout to be based on physical activity that you enjoy. For obtaining health benefits, it is generally accepted that all activity is good activity. If you are beginning an exercise program for the first time, however, you may want to consult your doctor first.
Studies have shown that adults should set the goal of exercising at least 30 minutes per day, and kids should try to accumulate 1 hour per day. These times can be broken up into smaller segments throughout the day, so do not be intimidated. To begin, you may even decide to set more easily attainable goals such as 10-15 minutes of exercise per day, and work your way up as you feel more comfortable with various exercises and your daily schedule. Here are some examples of moderate to vigorous exercise that you may want to include:
Walk/Jog
Ride a bike
Housework
Basketball
Swim
Strength Training
Dance
Volleyball
Yard Work
Tennis
Cardio Training
If you enjoy the motivation of being around other people when exercising, do not be afraid to check into local gyms. You will find commercial-grade equipment, personal trainers, and lots of great class opportunities such as kickboxing, yoga, and “spinning” (stationary bikes). Alternatively, there is no space more convenient to exercise than your own home, so it may definitely be worth looking at your goals, budget, and space. With a little planning, you can create a home gym space that meets all of your personal fitness goal needs based on any budget, and any amount of space. Look at the other pages in this site to help assess your options with cardio equipment, weight training equipment, and compact exercise equipment.
Whatever you decide, do not be afraid to change your exercises often. Your motivation to exercise will greatly depend on keeping it fun and exciting. Feel free to take a day off from cardio work every now and then to throw in a yoga class, or replace your normal shoulder exercises on your home gym system with some dumbbell shoulder exercises on a stability ball. Remember, all activity is good activity, so explore!