Exercising is only a small part of becoming healthy and fit. Of course exercise is still important. You body needs regular work outs to keep the joints and muscles functioning properly. Here's the thing: real fitness means eating healthy as well as making good lifestyle choices. There is more to real fitness than just exercise. That said, it is also a good idea to put together a good workout routine. The good news is that everybody can work out and get fit. Even if you have no experience with working out, you can develop a fitness routine that will increase your health and athleticism. Here are some hints to help you.

No matter what kind of work out routine you hope to develop, talk to your doctor first. If you want to make sure that you approach your fitness routine correctly, you should make sure to first get the opinion of a health care professional. Your doctor will help you figure out which parts of your lifestyle you need to work on. Your doctor will take your personal health history as well as your current health status into account when helping you put together your exercise program. Don't go it alone...especially if this is the first time you have ever tried to exercise regularly. Your doctor will help you figure out your point A as well as help you develop a good way to get to point B (and the method of getting there). Take a swim! Many health and fitness experts insist that swimming is the absolute best workout that you can give yourself. Swimming works all of the muscles in your body. Swimming is also very low impact. Low impact refers to exercises and sports that strengthen your muscles without forcing your body through a great deal of stress. This is because the water takes your weight out of the workout--you work your muscles without your body weight impacting the success of the workout itself. The pure enjoyment one gets from going swimming is another benefit.

Get fit with your friends. Even if everyone in your group shares your level of inexperience, you can keep each other in check as you all work to be fitter. Having your friends working alongside you as you work to get healthy is far more fun than trying to do it all alone. It helps to have a group of people with you who will get on your case if you start to slack off. Having a friend or person on hand to help keep you focused on what you are trying to do is very helpful. Following a fitness routine with your friends is a lot easier than only ever working out alone. Almost everyone wants to get fit at some point in his or her life. We all wish we were stronger or had more endurance. Everyone wants to be healthier. The problem is that not very many of us know how to make the changes we need to accomplish this. Don't let the changes psyche you out. We all have a starting point! There are people throughout the world who feel the same things you feel right now. The most important thing right now is that you know what you have to do. You only have to take the first step.