It is certainly true that exercise is a vital part of being fit and healthy but it is not all there is to being fit and healthy. There is more to true fitness than simply going for a run or lifting some weights every morning. To truly be fit you need to make good choices in all areas of your life. As you get older and wiser you will realize that being physically fit and having a healthy lifestyle are very important. How many times, over the last months and years, have you thought "I really need to get healthier" to yourself?

You will be pleased to learn that you can put a few things into action today to help raise your levels of health and fitness. Here are some tips that you can use to help yourself get fit and healthy.

Make good lifestyle choices. You should not smoke. Pare down your booze. Drinking and smoking are nasty habits by themselves but if you keep them up while you try to get healthier you won't get anywhere. Smoking is awful for your lungs and will hinder your ability to properly work out. Not only will drinking keep your energy levels low, it is terrible for your liver.

Beyond that, most alcoholic beverages contain a crazy amount of calories. It might even take you an entire workout to completely work off the calories you consumed with your drinks. Why get in your own way?

You don't have to spend hours and hours at the gym if you want to do a full workout. Use the rowing machine or elliptical trainer if you want to work your whole body but don't want to use a bunch of machines. You can train and tone your entire body by spending only twenty minutes on one of these machines. Twenty minutes in one of these machines is equal to an hour long workout in which you worked the areas of your body separately. Many people will opt to use one of these machines because doing so saves time--they can save multiple hours of working out each day while still helping to increase your health and fitness!

Start with a simple routine and add to it over time to build something that is more complicated. New athletes and exercisers are rarely able to run ten miles right away. Nobody is able to lift a hundred pounds during their first weight training session. Start with slow and easy exercises and then work up to routines that are more involved. When you try to do too much too fast you will most likely end up injured. If you push your body too far you could really hurt it. Physical trainers, doctors and physical therapists are all great sources of support when you need help building a fitness routine. Almost everyone wants to get fit at some point in his or her life. Lots of people wish that they were stronger and had better endurance levels. We all wish that we felt better. The problem is that not very many of us know how to make the changes we need to accomplish this. Don't let anybody make you feel intimidated by the process. We all have to start someplace! There are people all over the country (and the world) who feel the same things you do. The most important thing right now is that you know what you have to do. You only have to take the first step.

Many of these tips can be extremely helpful to develop muscle and also to lose weight. If you one of those people who are trying to find a methods to shed weight and build muscle more quicklly then look into the bottom of this page.