A fitness routine can mean the actual workout you do in the gym in Boise, ID or your home town or it can mean how you schedule your time for working out and your ongoing dedication to healthy eating. Did you make a lifestyle change or is it just a temporary thing you do when you think about it or have time. You need both a healthy eating plan and regular exercise to become your fittest. Both help you shed pounds and reduce the risk of serious conditions.

It’s not a one time shot and you’re done.

Getting fit is not like throwing a 40th surprise birthday party for a spouse or special friend, where you work hard, but once the party is over, it’s done forever. It’s more like brushing your teeth or washing. You really need to do both regularly! When you have a fitness routine, you workout on a regular basis and attempt to make every meal healthy. Eating a salad on Monday does not compensate for the burgers and fries you ate the rest of the week. It may be a start, but not a great one. Doing push ups or walking for 30 minutes is great, but it does little good if it’s only for one day and you sit the rest. Consistency is the key. Consistency makes it a routine.

Once you do it regularly, you’ll feel like something is missing when you don’t.

The reason there’s so much emphasis on lifestyle changes is that lifestyle changes are exactly what you’re striving to achieve. Half the battle is getting into a routine of exercise and eating healthier. Your taste in food often changes and you don’t crave the empty calorie junk. You’ll automatically reach for water rather than reaching for a cola and look forward to “fresh” tasting whole foods. You’ll actually feel like something is missing if you skip a workout.

Once you’re in the habit of exercise, keep it interesting.

If you’re not working out with a trainer, you need to start with exercise routines that work on all types of fitness, endurance, flexibility, strength and balance. If you’re simply pumping iron with no flexibility training, you’re asking for injury. Just doing flexibility training, especially if you’re a woman, could leave you at higher risk for osteoporosis, while also boosting your potential for injury. You’ll also need to create several routines to avoid plateauing, which occurs when the body becomes too efficient at a specific move and burns fewer calories. It’s another reason people often use a trainer to help them.

• As you get fitter, you’ll start looking forward to other activities that keep your body moving, such as hiking and dancing. Follow your instincts and investigate more fun things to do to keep it interesting.
• The more you workout, the fitter you’ll become, which means you have to adjust your workout to your new fitness level. You’ll know when it’s time to crank it up because your present workout will be easier to do.
• Keep it simple when you first start eating healthy. Pitch processed foods and sugary treats and start enjoying more whole foods—foods that are closer to their natural state—like fresh vegetables. Make small changes as you go.
• Just do it. Doing something, even as simple as walking, is better than doing nothing. You don’t have to have all the answers at first. Learn as you go or seek the help of a personal trainer.