A common mistake that people make at the beginning of the year is to exercise to the point of excess. That is the fastest way to end the New Year’s resolution to exercise. Here are some tips:

1. If you have been sedentary for a while, it is important to start moving slowly. Try little things such as parking your car a little further from wherever it is you want to go. Or, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Start small and gradually increase your activity level.
2. The key to overall fitness is to incorporate exercise into your life so that it becomes automatic. Maybe it is as simple as walking your dog once or twice a day or taking two 15 minute walks around the block when you have break-time at work.
3. Walking is one of the easiest ways to get moving. Increase your distance slowly. Make sure you have good shoes, stretch and before you start on an exercise program, make sure your doctor approves.
4. You don’t need to belong to an expensive club to exercise. There are activities you can do at home that can work those calories off. These include: vacuuming, gardening, and house cleaning. If you keep on moving they qualify as exercise and are extremely productive.
5. An easy way to gauge your progress with exercise is to use a pedometer. You can find inexpensive ones at Target. You wear it on your waist or belt and it counts your steps. You want to aim for 10,000 steps a day, but if you aren’t a big exerciser, try for 5000 steps a day.

These are just a few quick tips, but if you follow them you will be amazed at the results!