When I first thought of writing these strategies, I wanted to write it all in one quick tip. As I was writing, I began to realize how important each strategy was and that I could not do justice to each without expanding them all into separate strategies. While each one is just as important as the next, it is the implementation of each of them that creates a better looking, feeling, and functioning body.

Almost every place you look, you will find articles about one of the most popular physical exercises, the abdominal crunch exercise. The crunch exercise is also found in many group classes, and we wager that if you ask ten people in your local gym how many crunches they do, probably at least three of them will say more than a hundred crunches a day.

(In Part One of this two-part article, we talked about choosing goals and assessing your current condition.)

In this two-part article, you'll learn about all the components in an individualized, quality exercise program. You'll learn about the correct order and appropriate timing in which these components should be introduced. By the end of the article you'll be able to determine: (1) If your current exercise program is right for you; (2) If not, what you need to change about your exercise program; and (3) how a knowledgeable fitness trainer can help you develop the correct exercise program for your needs.

PART ONE: Choosing goals and assessing your current condition

Most athletes are very conscientious about what is going into their bodies while keeping fit or training for an event. The combination of exercise, nutrition, and supplements can make a world of difference in performance and recovery from injury.

Walking bores you? You won’t set foot in a sweaty gym? That’s okay! Get out there and trip the light fantastic!

Italian researchers (wouldn’t you know it would be those hot-blooded Italians?) have dis­cov­ered that even for heart failure patients, waltzing is just as good as what they euphemis­tically call “traditional aerobic exercise” —flailing about on a bike or treadmill until you huff and puff. Maybe a little better, in fact.

We all acknowledge that going out for a brisk walk for 20-30 minutes daily will do you good. Even so, many of us haven't considered making walking an everyday habit. What is a fact is that walking can really improve our metabolic fitness enormously.

Our metabolism operates like clockwork in our system. It decides the rate at which our body assimilates the nutrients that we consume through food and the rate at which we burn all the additional amounts of fats, carbohydrates,and proteins. Consequently, the rate of our metabolism decides our weight. The faster the metabolism of a person, the faster he or she will burn the calories and the faster all the processes in our body are occurring.