It is a well known fact that before any type of fitness training it is necessary to carry out some simple warm up moves so there is less chance of injury. There are also a number of precautionary measures and tips to serve as guidelines when doing fitness exercises. Firstly, stretching should be carried out because it improves the flexibility of muscles and joints prior to and after a workout. This flexibility is further improved when you carry out muscle and tendon stretching exercises after you have finished any physical activity.

For instance, stretching movements for a warm up only have to last a third of the time that the same movements do when you are doing a cool-down, so they need to last for about a minute. It is not advisable to stretch and then relax straight away but to return to the original position slowly. At the point of greatest stretch, hold the position before you slowly release, this avoids any potential strain or the possibility of injury from jerking your joints. Do not jump from an easy stretching exercise to a hard one, but complete the easiest first and do the hardest last as by this time most of your muscles will be warm and it will make the difficult exercise easier.

Another neglected area to stretch and warm up is the neck, it’s amazing how many people forget even though it is not difficult to do, in fact all it requires is the palm of the hand being placed on the forehead and pushing against it; this can be repeated for the back and sides. It is always a good idea to continue with this stretching at certain points in the fitness training workout particularly if a difficult exercise is about to be performed as it will help make the routine easier. Never try to compete with the abilities of others as this is a sure way to injure yourself; even if not at the time, you will almost certainly feel it later when you body has cooled down. Always exercise to limits of your body on the day, just because a few days earlier you could carry out an exercise does not mean that it will be possible all the time so expect this to happen and do not over-exert yourself.

Fitness training everyday can be punishing for the muscles and does not allow them to heal and grow so try to leave a day between workouts. Increasing your lung capacity, which means you won’t get out of breath so easily and heart improvement exercises like walking, running and rowing for instance are the best to start with and you will find weight machines much easier to use. It is well known that music makes exercise easier as the beat is something you can follow and these days the tiny mp3 players can be attached without too much bother. While most come complete with headphones, it is s good idea to have some good ones because if you have your music loud, it is quite easy for others to be disturbed by it. If you are someone who has trouble relaxing or sleeping then you may want to consider stretching exercises as it is good for you even if you are not working out.