I certainly hope that you clicked here because starting a new exercise routine is part of your self-improvement plan and you are not just looking at dieting to lose weight.  Dieting is the backbone of losing fat but your effort will be greatly multiplied by combining diet and exercise.

Well, you’re not here to be lectured so let’s get on with the show.  Today, in honor of lists (who doesn’t love lists?) here are seven tips to help make getting started easier.

1. The obligitory "consult your doctor first."  This one is particularly for if you’re not normally physically active.  Before you begin a new  exercise program it is really important to make sure you’re physically up for it.  Make sure you don’t have anything serious that needs to be addressed.  I recommend you find a doctor that is familiar with exercise and physical fitness.  I say this because my doctor, I should ex-doctor, told my wife that women shouldn’t lift weight and she should just do aerobics.  Even doctor’s have their limitations.  They get no formal training in physical fitness and are not always in the best position to tell you what you can and cannot do regarding exercise.
2. Set small goals.  While it may be really exciting to set a large goal like running a marathon or going to the gym every day, the motivation fades fast if you don’t have smaller goals for positive feedback.  Without the feedback of accomplishing smaller victories it gets difficult to motivate yourself to achieve the grander goal.  Then you risk a blind-date with feeling overwhelmed.  Think in terms of breaking the larger goal into smaller chunks like running 1 mile a day for the first week, then 2 miles a day for the next, then 3 miles and so on.  You will find yourself going from the couch to the Boston Marathon sooner than you think.
3. Reward yourself.  Goal setting and achieving is supposed to be fun.  When you reach a goal, whether it is a little one or a big one, reward yourself.  This is key to keep you striving forward.  Pick your reward and then keep working until you’ve earned it.  It will make the reward much more satisfying and keep you in the game.
4. Do something fun.  Exercising doesn’t have to be running around a track until you can’t breathe anymore.  Find a sport that you enjoy, and reaching your goals will become easy and fun.  This will keep you from a blind-date with overwhelmed uglier cousin burnout.  If you think that sitting on an Abdominizer for hours on end in front of your television is fun you don’t need these tips, you need an intervention.
5. Mix it up.  It’s easy to get into a rut when you’re beginning a new workout routine.  In order to keep things interesting and maintain your motivation, change up the exercises or sports you do.  This will make it easier on your body as well as your mind.  For example, if you’re running two or three times a week, consider riding your bike on the other days.  Weight lifting?  Add mobility drills to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
6. Exercise with friends.  Friends motivate you to get to the gym, friends make it fun, and friends can challenge you to push yourself just a little bit farther than you might if you were working out alone.  Nothing is more powerful than a friendly "she is NOT going to do more pushups than me!"  Just remember that this is not social time and if you can easily talk while you exercise you aren’t working hard enough to get fit.
7. Exercise during your best time of day.  Are you a morning person?  I’d wager that the morning is when you will get your best workouts.  If you’re a night person, then try workouting in the evening.   You will need to experiment with this until you find your sweet spot.
   

Like any good list you have to draw the line some where and end it.  There are many more that could have made this list but information overload won’t help you get started.  These are enough to get you going and once you’ve gotten these under your belt then you can start to worry about the finer details.

Congratulations on you decision to get into shape.  Your body is designed for movement and exercise is vital to your health.  

Now go get moving!

Tod