You've decided to do something fantastic for your health and your body - you're going to get moving! Congratulations - you've already taken the first step. Now all you need to know is how to begin.

If you haven't been physically active before, don't worry - it's never too late to start. Maybe you used to be active but haven't exercised regularly in a long time. Either way, it's always a good idea to talk with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. That's especially true if you're over 40 or if you have any health problems, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, have a family history of heart disease, or even if you smoke. Once you get the green light, it's time to put together a fitness plan based on the four fitness building blocks.

Putting Together a Plan
You can work with a personal trainer or fitness instructor to develop a plan. You also can design your own. You're more apt to stick with your plan if you pick activities you will enjoy. Also think out whether you would prefer going to a gym, joining a community exercise class, or doing exercises at home.

Identifying which areas of fitness you need to work on most can help you design the best plan to meet your needs. For example, you might have great endurance but need to build strength.

The Four Fitness Building Blocks

• Endurance - activities that boost your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time
• Strength - activities that build muscle and make bones stronger
• Flexibility - activities that involve stretching and increase your range of motion
• Balance - activities that help you maintain posture and balance to keep you from falling

Activities for the Four Building Blocks

Endurance (aerobics)

• Hiking
• Stair Climbing
• Swimming
• Dancing
• Cycling
• Brisk Walking
• Martial Arts
• Sports such as volleyball, basketball, and tennis

Goal: Aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week.

Strength training

• Calisthenics or weight machines that work both the upper and lower body
• Martial Arts
• Pilates
• Rowing, cycling, and hiking

An activity like rowing will improve upper-body strength, while cycling and hiking will strengthen leg muscles. Combining upper- and lower-body activities in your daily routine will also provide an overall strengthening workout.

Goal: To build strength through resistance exercises (weights, resistance bands), do one to two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions for each muscle group, two to three times a week. Try to do an activity like cycling three to five times a week.

Flexibility

• Yoga
• Ballet
• Pilates
• Martial Arts
• Calisthenics

To avoid injuries it's important to include stretching in all workouts. For instance, stretch for several minutes before and after you walk, jog, dance, or lift weights. If you are stretching before working out make sure your muscles are warmed up. Try marching in place or brisk walking pumping your arms.

Goal: Perform a static (no bouncing) stretch routine each day, working each muscle group two or three times for 20 to 30 seconds each time.

Balance

• Yoga
• Martial arts, especially Tai Chi
• Weight machines and other exercises that strengthen leg and back muscles
• Posture exercises, such as walking with a book on your head or walking heel to toe along a straight line.

Goal: Work your balance exercises into your regular strength-training, stretching, and endurance routines.

Did you notice that some activities, such as martial arts, offer all four building blocks?

Set Specific Goals
Once you have identified your interests and areas of fitness that will benefit you most, set specific goals. For example: "On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I will do a brisk, 10-minute walk in the morning before my shower, at lunch time and after dinner."

Along with your goals, make a list of all the reasons to be physically active-- things like decreasing stress or depression, building stronger bones or greater strength and flexibility to help maintain independence. Keep this list in a visible place as a daily reminder of the long-term rewards.

Measuring Your Success
Chart your progress using information from the National Institutes of Health site. Don't be discouraged if you don't get instant results. Getting fit takes time. Just stick with it and you'll see your endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance improve.

Reward Yourself
Once you've reached your goal, treat yourself to something that reminds you what a good job you've done and encourages you to continue. Make it something that feeds your spirit, but is not necessarily food or an expensive purchase.

AARP Resources

Pick the Best Personal Trainer
Pick a personal trainer to meet your physical and personal needs

Choosing the Right Health and Fitness Club
The right club can provide the motivation to get fit and stay healthy. AARP provides tips on choosing one right for you.

Change Can Do You Good
Making major life changes - quitting smoking, becoming active, losing weight - takes time and persistence.

Fitness Safety
[http://www.aarp.org/Articles/a2003-03-06-safety.html]

Walking For Health: Getting Started
Walking is fun, easy, cheap - and almost anyone can do it!

Additional Resources

Mayo Clinic
Self-tests for endurance, strength, flexibility, body composition, and body mass index are explained and illustrated.

Charting Progress
The National Institutes of Health offer simple tests to measure your fitness progress in endurance, strength, and balance.

Exercise: A Guide From the National Institute On Aging
Information about the four building blocks of fitness, exercise safety, and illustrated sample exercises.

Fit Facts
The American Council on Exercise has fact sheets on endurance, strength/resistance, and flexibility exercises, as well as things to consider before beginning an exercise program.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC)
Walk, cycle or run your way to better health and fitness by visiting Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's free online database of 1,200 community rail-trails and find a trail near you.