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Before I start, let me tell you a little about myself, so you know about my educational background with regards to fitness training...

I am an A.F.A.A. certified personal fitness trainer, I also took and completed U.C.L.A.'s FITNESS INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM (a 2 year program), and ROMANA KRYZANOWSKA'S PILATES TEACHERS' TRAINING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM...(this is the same teacher that taught Mari Winsor.) Romana is one of the last living students of Joseph H. Pilates, and was the sole inheritor of his studio in New York. I also have taken continuing eduction classes over the years, too, to keep up on the changes in the fitness world.

Here are some guidelines to help you get started...here's what you need to know before starting a fitness program, and looking for a personal fitness trainer...

1. A thorough consultation with a certified personal trainer, or a person with a degree in exercise physiology, or exercise kinesiology. Make sure the person training you knows what they are doing, and has had training for it. This willl help to eliminate injuries. At the initial consultation, your trainer should take your complete health and fitness histories. This are absolutely necessary prior to setting up a workout program. It allows for your program take into account your past exercise history, if any, your health issues and/or medications that might affect your fitness program, and also this will help to give the trainer the information needed to set up an individual and personalized program which will be designed specifically for you and your needs and preferences.

2. A minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic cardiovascular program should be performed at least 3 times a week. The purpose of an aerobic program is to help heart health. Aerobics helps to burn fat, and increases your metabolism (which also helps to burn fat). The faster your metabolism, the more fat you burn.

3. The third component to a fitness program is weight training. Weight training should be done three times a week for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, preferably every other day (the day in between workouts helps to let your muscles rest, this is important). Building and/or toning your muscles also helps increase you metabolism, again helping to burn fat more effectively. 4 The last component, but probably the most important is your nutrition. Nutrition is about 80% of a fitness program. I can't stress enough how important it is. Your trainer can help with consultations, and guidance in giving you general nutritional tips and help. More extensive nutritional guidance should always be done with a registered dietician, this is very important. Often people will have a great workout program, but if their nutritional program is not correct, they will not achieve their fitness goals.

The best way to stay with a fitness program is by choosing activities you like to do. This can include indoor and/or outdoor activities for your fitness program. Having supportive people in your life helps, too, but isn't an absolute must have.

I myself like to have my clients commit to a 12, 36, or 72 week program...sometimes even a program for a year. The reason I choose to do it this way is to get the client to make a commitment to achieve their goals. I also like to change the client's program every 6 weeks, both to add variety to the client's program, and so that their muscles will be challenged in new and different ways. You will plateau on a program and stop, or slow down your progression, if you just keep doing the same thing for a long period of time. By changing to a new program you will elminate boredom, help to gain muscle growth and/or definition -- depending on what your fitness goals are.

Stretching is also important in one's fitness program. Stretching is very important to keep your muscles flexible, especially the older one gets, the more important this is.

So take an important first step at making a serious commitment to your health and fitness. You are absolutely worth it.

For my programs, I personally like to use many different tools -- balls, pilates magic circles, resistance flat bands, resistance tubing, medicine balls, foam rollers, just to name a few. Many of these items I carry in my ebay store, and I have many more great items that I have access to. If you don't see what you need, or are looking for, please ask me...I can probably get it for you! PLEASE NOTE: I JUST SET-UP A FITNESS WEBSITE...WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IT? CHECK MY "ABOUT ME" PAGE... Thank you for taking the time to read this, and if you have found it to be helpful...please take the time to say if this guide was of benefit to you...