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How is it possible to enjoy a life full of pleasure without healthy living? With this in mind, often people are in search for an effective exercise routine that will get them in shape and keep them there. Unusual training methods, fad diets and overly extensive exercise routines are being pursued, with the hopes of achieving a healthy body. Sadly more emphasis is placed upon fad diets instead of regular exercise which has been proven, over and over again, to be the most efficient path to health living.

You do not need to join a fancy gym or hire an expensive trainer' you can easily create your own exercise routine and achieve great success, all in the comforts of your own home. In creating your own exercise routine, to make it effective, focus should be given to the principle of F.I.T.T. which is an acronym Frequency, Intensity, Type and Time.

Frequency is the number of times you perform your exercise routine, which depends on the primary goal for the exercise. If your goal is to lose weight, then a more frequent routine should be used or if you want to build muscle bulk, you should only exercise each body part once every 3 or 4 days.

Intensity is the amount of physical exertion you invest per routine and once more this depends on the goal for the exercise routine, as well as the exercise type you decide to choose. If you're engaged in aerobic exercises, for example, intensity is measured through your heart rate per a given period of time. The intensity for muscle-toning exercises is measured through the weights used, as well as the number of repetitions you do.

Type is the manner of exercise you use. Aerobics, weight loss, muscle building (bulk) and muscle-toning exercise are all examples of this and of course there is bound to be one that is suited for any particular purpose.

Time refers to the length of time you invest per session; 20 minutes minimum for aerobic exercises, to keep your heart rate up is a good example.

Any fitness goal can be achieved by adjusting and tweaking each of these elements. If you need to lose weight, for example, adjust the frequency and the time of your exercise routine. If you want a more shapely muscled physique then correspondingly increase the intensity of your sessions.

A few words of caution however, check with your doctor to ensure the exercise routine your are initiating is safe for your condition. Stretch before and after your exercise routines to prevent injury and be prepared to be sore the first week. Muscles that are not used often tend to get very sore when suddenly used, even with light weights. This disappears around the end of the first week' but be fore warned.