10 Quick Exercise Tips for Enhancing Overall Health

The benefits of daily exercise include reducing bad long-term health conditions, losing weight, increasing muscle, and enhancing overall health. Find 10 exercise tips for enhancing your health.

There are enough studies showing the value of daily exercise to convince even the most skeptical of folks.

The benefits of a daily workout include reducing long-term health conditions (such as coronary artery disease and Type II diabetes), helping maintain or reduce weight, increasing muscle (and bone) strength, boosting self-esteem, lifting our spirits, and generally enhancing overall health.

By committing as little as 30 minutes a day (which you can even break into smaller increments) to fitness, you'll see and feel the results of your dedication while avoiding hypokinetic diseases (such as obesity) -- which are conditions related to inactivity and sedentary lifestyles.

Here are 10 quick exercise tips for healthier living and improved overall health.

1. Just do it... daily. You don't need fancy equipment or an expensive gym membership to get started working out -- but you do need to make the time, even if it is just three 10-minute workouts throughout the day. Just remember to get the ok from your doctor before starting -- and then make a commitment to daily fitness.

2. Choose to walk. By walking to work or choosing the stairs over the elevator, you can build at least part of your exercise into your work or school day. The current movement is for people to walk 10,000 steps daily -- the equivalent of about five miles. Even if you do other workouts, adding walking to your daily fitness routine is an easy and smart choice.

3. Stretch it out. Before you begin any strenuous kind of workout, take the time to do a few basic stretches. Stretching increases flexibility, which leads to reduced risk of injury from exercising, but it also gives your muscles a light workout and increases your strength.

4. Find a workout buddy. Always exercising by yourself can get both lonely and boring. Having a friend as a workout buddy can not only make exercising more enjoyable, but you'll also find yourself more motivated to workout -- especially if you are having a friendly competition.

5. Take a hike. Nothing beats the combination of walking and being in a natural setting. Find a local park or preserve and walk vigorously while enjoying the natural beauty of your surroundings. Just remember to stay on the trails and be extra careful when hiking up or down steep hills.

6. Ride a bike. Nothing beats riding a bicycle -- whether to commute to work, run errands, explore local attractions, or simply to bike around the neighborhood. Remember to adjust the bike seat to fit your height, always wear a helmet, and ride with traffic while obeying all vehicular laws and regulations.

7. Play a sport. One way to obtain the exercise you need is to make it part of something larger -- as well as part of a competition. Consider sports such as tennis, golf, pickleball, or basketball -- and have fun competing against others while getting in better shape.

8. Join a gym or exercise studio. Be careful of sinking too much money into something you may never fully use (or stop using after a few short visits), but a gym membership opens the door to many types of exercises -- often with the option of having an exercise routine developed for you by a personal trainer. Some gyms also include classes, such as Zumba.

9. Keep hydrated. Always bring a water bottle with you whenever you are exercising. Staying hydrated is essential to a good workout -- and essential to good health. Next to oxygen, water is the most crucial element your body needs to function well. Drink before and during a workout.

10. Make it fun. Fitness should be fun. If you dread exercising, then your workouts will become what diets are to eating -- something you feel you have to do, but for which you find no enjoyment or satisfaction. Exercise in a favorite place -- or to some favorite music. And occasionally reward yourself when you achieve a fitness goal.

Final Thoughts on the Benefits of Exercising

If you are truly serious about improving your health and wellness, then exercise and movement must be part of your daily life. While you should start any workout routine slowly -- and only after consulting with your doctor -- the ideal plan is dedicating at least an hour to a varied fitness and exercise routine. The hour can be broken into smaller time periods -- and you should strive for a weekly combination of strength-building and aerobic exercises.

Finally, don't limit yourself when exercising. Look for exercise videos and DVDs and programs run by your local parks and recreation office or YMCA to find other beneficial fitness tools such as swimming, rebounding, kickboxing, yoga, dance, tai chi, stepping, and others. If you have the financial resources, consider buying a Wii Fit, which has balance, strength training, yoga, and aerobic exercises.