The benefits of making exercise a part of your routine are both well-known and abundant. The reasons for working out go beyond just helping you live longer — being in good shape also gives you more energy, strength, coordination, and balance to help you in your daily routine.

All of these potential benefits often get people excited to start exercising. However, beginners often have trouble sticking with their exercise routine in the long term. If you’re looking to boost your health by making exercise a part of your routine, here are some tips that can help.

1) Start slow

Wanting to push your limits and train hard is admirable, but it is often not productive. Overtraining and pushing too hard can lead to serious injuries and cause lasting damage. That is not only bad for your health, but it can also kill your momentum when you’re trying to get started.

You may take months to recover from a serious injury. And by the time you feel better, your fitness level will likely be worse than it was before the injury, making it even harder to reach your fitness goals.

The solution is to start slow. And respect your limits.

2) Get professional help

Working with a personal trainer has many advantages. One of them is that a trainer can help tailor your exercise routine to your current fitness levels so you can safely start moving towards your fitness goals. Trainers can also instruct you on proper form and what safety equipment to use when engaging in different activities.

If you’re hiring a professional, make sure to check their credentials and get someone experienced. Especially if you’re planning on starting a martial art or an impact sport. Different sports can easily lead to various types of injuries, including serious brain injuries.

A neglectful coach or trainer can make accidents like that much more likely. And while you may be able to sue said coach with the help of the best TBI attorney you can find, it is still safer to prevent the injury to begin with. For all of the reasons mentioned in the last tip.

3) Find an activity you like

The World Health Organization recommends that adults spend at least 150 minutes a week doing moderate aerobic exercises. And they recommend at least two days of moderate strength training per week focusing on the body’s major muscle groups.

Nearly 3 hours per week is a lot of time to spend on something. But luckily, there are a lot of different types of aerobic activities out there. And finding one that you enjoy doing can make turning that activity into part of your routine much easier.

It also helps to find activities that are easy to engage with. Tennis is a great exercise, but if the nearest Tennis court is a 30-minute drive from your house, you’ll need a backup activity for the days when you don’t feel like dealing with the commute.

4) Track your progress

Sticking with an exercise routine requires a lot of motivation. And one way to stay motivated is to keep track of your fitness progress.

Try keeping track of how many days you’ve stuck with your training, how much you’ve progressed, how the training is affecting your daily routine, and more. Having a clear sense of how far you’ve come can do a lot to help you keep up with your training.

There are many ways to keep track of your progress. But one of the easiest and most convenient methods is to pair a fitness band with a good health-tracking app.