Get FITT

Once you’ve made a commitment to getting in shape, you may feel bombarded by the overabundance of exercise, fitness and diet information available. The best way to alleviate that is to have a game plan. Although you may hear conflicting information about certain programs, most fitness experts are in agreement about the FITT principle:

Frequency: Fitness experts say that aerobic activity should be performed three to six days a week.

Intensity: The optimal heart rate for healthy weight loss in 60% of your maximum heart rate. To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from the number 220.

Time: Within the first 30 days of your fitness plan, the aerobic portion of your workout should be between 15 and 45 minutes. Your strength training program should be about 30 minutes, three days a week.

Type: Be sure to combine your aerobic activity with strength and flexibility training. Strength training creates muscle mass, which is metabolically more active than fat, and stretching will increase your range of motion.

You may feel more comfortable executing your fitness plan at home, but a gym membership may be useful for others. At a gym, you’ll have access to many fitness machines and weights, and access to professionals who can answer fitness questions.

Whether you work out at a gym or in your living room, use the FITT principle to make sure you’re exercising enough to get in shape.