Fitness is more than just a social media fad or a way to improve your looks. A carefully planned fitness regime is a great way to improve your overall health.

The most significant health benefits of a fitness routine include improved heart health, lowered obesity, increased energy, increased strength and endurance, and ultimately a longer and healthier life. However, beginning a new fitness routine may not be easy.

Fitness beginners or those who struggle to maintain an exercise routine need to know some basics to kick-start a new fitness plan. So what are some of the fitness basics and fundamental steps need to launch a new exercise plan?

Consult a medical professional before engaging in physical activity

A doctor or medical professional can help evaluate your overall health needs and help guide any fitness plans you have.

An initial evaluation from your doctor can help determine how much your body will be able to exercise without overexertion as well as which exercises are most beneficial for your needs.

In addition, your providercan refer you to other specialists to help manage your diet and boost the effectiveness of your exercises.

Start slow with moderate aerobic exercises/activities

The first types of exercises that you should probably start with are aerobic activities, which help to improve cardiovascular health and endurance. A list of moderate aerobic activities include:

• Biking
• Running/jogging
• Gardening
• Brisk walking
• Yoga/Pilates
• Swimming

Aerobic exercises are key to help lose weight and improve cardiovascular health. Start with a routine of at least 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise and slowly build up your endurance.

Combine aerobic exercises with other types of workouts

As you build up your athletic experience make sure that you start to combine other types of exercises with aerobic activity. For example, strength conditioning can help improve your muscle tone, reduce excess fat/weight, and lower stress.

A list of popular types of exercises that help boost a fitness routine include:

• Strength, weight, and resistance training: Bench press, squat, and free weight training
• Flexibility training: Stretching, yoga, Pilates, and sustained static stretches
• Routine/activity training: dance, cycling, spin class, and other types of classes that improve cardiovascular performance.

Remember that it will take a lot of time and even more hard work to jump start a new fitness routine. Make sure to have fun to help get you in the mood to exercise every day. Additionally, it never hurts to have an exercise partner. Get a friend or a family member to join you to help maintain your best routine.