Fitness is important on many levels. It helps your body to function inside and out. When you are in shape, you feel better about yourself. You have more energy to do the things you enjoy. Staying fit can really improve your life, so let’s look at some tips that can help you become the picture of health.

Finding your target heart rate can make your workouts more effective. The target heart rate is the heart rate at which your body is using the most oxygen, and therefore burning the most calories. Ideally your target rate is approximately 60 percent of your maximum rate. You can get a rough calculation of your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from the number 220.

There will be days when you have zero motivation to workout. On days like this, commit to doing just ten minutes of exercise. If you get started, chances are you will continue exercising past the first ten minutes. Even if you don’t continue exercising, ten minutes is better than no minutes.

Help your muscles become more flexible. Some muscles are naturally more flexible than others. But the ones that aren’t so flexible and feel tight, should be stretched at least two times more than our already flexible muscles. Muscles which are typically tight are the lower back, shoulders, and hamstrings.

Never accept pain during a workout. Pain is not a sign that you are doing something right, and you could really hurt yourself if you don’t stop when you’ve done too much. Know the difference between feeling natural tension in your muscles and outright pain. If pain doesn’t stop when you are done with your workout, consider seeing a doctor.

These tips can help you in a variety of ways. Try out the ones you like. Stick to a healthy routine and you will see results. Afterwards, you will find that it is much easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle Your quality of life will improve, and you will feel better about yourself all around.