How to Design Your Personal Fitness Program

The most effective way to establish a heart healthy routine is to design a personal fitness program. Following a fitness program helps to develop a healthy body and a healthy mind. The keys to success are practice, regular adherence to the program and a set of goals to accomplish.

• Get medical advice and clearance from a doctor. Generally, people under the age of 35 and in good health do not need to see a doctor. However, if a person is above 35 and has been inactive for a number of years, a physician may propose a graded exercise test. Heart trouble, high blood pressure, regular dizzy spells, arthritis and severe ligament, tendon or muscular problems are some conditions that may require medical clearance.


• Write down clear goals that focus the goals of the fitness routine.


• Consult a professional fitness instructor for help to develop a fitness program tailored to your needs. It is of utmost important to accept help from fitness experts especially in the early stages of the training routine so that you can understand the proper way of doing exercises and avoid injury.


• Perform warm up exercise before beginning the routine and stretch after the routine. Stretching relaxes the muscles, reduces stiffness and makes the body resistant to injury.


• Combine the basic elements of an excellent workout routine into a circuit-training program. In addition, introduce variations in the workout, which presents more challenges and better results.


• Eat a healthy balanced diet that has the right proportion of proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins.


• Measure and track your progress in a personal diary. This will encourage you to continue with the routine and mark the changes to the routine.