Adding a fitness regimen to your everyday routine is important, and not as hard as you would think. You may feel like you do not have the time or energy, but even a real quick workout will help you feel healthier. This article will give you some great tips for beginning a fitness regimen that works for you.


A great tip to stay fit is to follow a proven workout program. There are plenty of quality workout programs online and you can also find them in magazines such as Muscle & Fitness and Men's Fitness. Don't just blindly follow a workout program. You want to know that a workout program is effective.


When doing crunches, be careful not to strain your neck. If you put your tongue to the roof of your mouth while doing them, this can actually help to properly align your head and neck. Experts disagree on whether this helps on a physical or physiological level. Either way, it does seem to lessen neck strain.


Sex makes an amazing weight loss tool. This is some of the most exciting and least work-like exercise you can do. Healthy sex will help you get fit and is a great way to include your partner in your pursuit for weight loss. You will get in shape and improve your relationship.


Try joining sites like Fitocracy or My Fitness Pal to log your exercise and calorie intake. Not only are they good for seeing where you need improvement, but it's also a community of people with the same goals as you and can give you tips and ideas as well as encouragement.


To become more limber, hold stretches for at least 60 seconds. Stretching your muscles longer helps them to become more pliable. Try holding a stretch as long as you can without it being painful. After just a few days, you should notice an increase in flexibility. Be sure to stretch your body all over for the best results.


Although wearing a weight belt is ideal during overhead presses, squats, and other maximal lifts, it should not be worn all the time. By training regularly while wearing the weight belt, you might actually decrease the effectiveness and tone of your abdominal and lower back muscles, therefore sacrificing your hard-earned muscular strength.


Fix your posture. Poor posture puts a strain on your spinal column, affects your skeletal health, makes you feel tired and affects your body movement. To have good posture, stand with your shoulders back and down, chin parallel to the floor, and knees that aren't locked. You'll feel more alert and look slimmer as well if you improve your posture.


You can prevent illness if it is really difficult for you to exercise during the week or if you just don't do it at all by adding two 20 minute aerobic or weight workout sessions to your weekly schedule. This small amount of exercise can help you avoid sick days.


You will not lose fat by only working out your abdominal muscles. Studies have shown that it takes around 250,000 crunches to burn just one pound of fat. That is the equivalent of you doing 100 crunches everyday for 7 years straight. Instead of doing all that work, have a variety of areas targeted in your workout and you will see more instantaneous results.


A great fitness tip is to perform front squats. Adding front squats to your routine is a great way to target your quadriceps in a different way than regular squats. All you do for a front squat is place the bar with the weights against your collarbone, in front of your neck.


A quick trick to make sure your head is in the properly aligned position when doing sit-ups is to place your tongue against the roof of your mouth during the exercise. If your head is not aligned you could easily strain your neck muscles. This little technique will help you curb the possibility.


Use the same weight. To create strong muscle memory, use the same weight throughout every step of your workout. Muscle memory is important because it enhances your muscles ability to work harder. Once you have established a new weight, you can always increase that limit the next time you visit the gym.


Arrange a neighborhood DVD swap. If you are getting bored with your same old workout DVD, gather some friends and schedule a swap. Every week or two pass your DVD on to your neighbor and receive a new one from another neighbor. This way, you don't have to invest in a whole fitness DVD library, but you can still try out different workouts.


Smart fitness buffs do not subject themselves to long sets of crunches or sit-ups every day. The abdominal muscles that these exercises target are like any other set of muscles: They respond best when they get time to recover following a workout. The best results come from limiting ab workouts to two or three sessions a week.


Hiring a qualified personal trainer has been proven to increase results. A recent study shows that those who had a personal trainer made significant improvements in fat mass, fat-free mass, strength and body mass, compared to those who did the same workouts, but on their own. Personal trainers can help with spotting, motivation and tips, on the exercises you are doing.


Make sure to strengthen your core when you work out. It is beneficial for your entire body when you do this type of exercising. If you do sit ups, make sure you don't use machines where your feet are anchored as this can severely hurt your lower back. Instead, think about using a stability bar for your crunches.


As stated in the beginning of this article, it may seem hard to fit a fitness regimen into your everyday routine, but it is possible. Hopefully this article has given you some great tips for fitting some fitness into your busy life. You will find that in no time at all, you'll be feeling healthier and have much more energy.