How to Develop an Exercise Program

Write Down Exercise Goals
First, to develop an exercise program start by writing down a few goals that you would like to accomplish, such as how many times a week you want to exercise and how long you would like to exercise.  Every week or two try to increase your exercise time and intensity. Keep an exercise journal and record when you exercise, how long you exercised, and what activity you did. Take your measurements so that you can see if you lose inches over time. 

Know Your Target Heart Rate
How can you tell if you are exercising hard enough? You can tell by calculating your maximum heart rate when you take 220 minus your age. Then take 60%-85% of your maximum heart rate and that is the your target heart rate. You want to keep your heart rate at that level in order to know that you are working hard enough during exercise. The higher your heart rate, the more calories you will burn. The easiest way to keep track of your heart rate is to purchase a heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor will also track how many calories that you burn during exercise. 

Decide What Exercise Activities You Would Like to Do
When you first begin an exercise program you will need to decide what kind of exercise activities to participate in. Do you enjoy bike riding, hiking, playing a sport, step aerobics, or another exercise activity? Choose an activity that you will enjoy and be able to stick with. If you aren't sure what to do you can always begin a walking program. Start by walking briskly for 30 minutes a day. Walking is something that most people do already and it's one of the best ways to start exercising. The great thing about walking is that you don't have to buy expensive equipment or pay money to start a walking exercise program.

Add Variety to Your Exercise Program
After you have established a regular walking program, start to incorporate other fitness activities into your schedule, such as bike riding, jogging, playing a sport, using exercise videos, and weight lifting. You should start to change your exercise program every couple of weeks so that your body doesn't adapt to doing the same exercise. You might burn a lot of calories in the beginning when you begin an exercise program but if you don't change your routine then your body will adapt to the same exercise. If you change your exercise program every couple of weeks, or you alternate exercise activities then you will prevent a plateau. Follow these exercise tips and you will be on your way to developing a great exercise program.