The quality or state of being fit........Webster Dictionary;

Any kind of energy exerting activity that stimulates the heart and makes it pump beyond it's normal rate will improve fitness. This kind of activity (exercise) will deliver more oxygen to the body and strengthen your heart.

You will notice changes in your energy levels, you'll feel stronger and notice more flexibility. Take care of your heart and it will take care of you by enabeling you to do physical activities that maybe were out of reach.

If you don't include exercise into your diet program the chances of you controling your weight are not to good. Losing weight is only part of the equation, you need to be fit, free of heart straining problems (stronger heart).

Choosing an exercise program should include activities you won't get bored with and should include routines that will most effect the areas of concern. If you have a full body weight problem, then a robust full body workout is in order.

To lose weight in the beginning of your program you want to utilize more cardio than resistance training. In the beginning your resistance training will be kept to a minimum so you can burn as many calories as possible with intense fat burning routines.(Always start out slow)

But once you've been diligently following your diet and exercise program, you'll be noticing positive changes, sometimes significant. This is when the tables begin to turn.

In the beginning you may be at a 80% cardio workout and 20% resistance, but as time progresses and the pounds are coming off, it is time to move the scale to 70% cardio 30% resistance, until eventually you stabalize at your desired weight and shape.

After sometime, your exercise program should have progressed to the point where you are now at your desired weight and now your at 40% cardio workouts and 60% resistance training. You can now decide on the shape you want, simply by adjusting the cardio and resistance to determine how much fat loss or muscle you want.

If you fianally have reached your weight loss goals and think you want to start building some muscle to get that cut look, you will be including up to 80% resistance training and only 20% cardio. Almost 50 minutes of bodybuilding (resistance training) would go into a one hour workout and ten towards cardio.

In order for your workouts to have fitness conditioning results with heart strenghtening, weight loss or body building, they must be somewhat intense and done on a regular basis with long enough workouts or physical activity (Don't over do it, especially in the beginning).

Cardiovascular type activities could include bike riding, fast walking, jogging, high step running in place, aerobic dancing, jumping rope and anything that gets the heart pumping faster.

Both young and old people can benefit from fitness training. Researchers now know that frail people in nursing homes have been found to have increased muscle strenghth if they exercise. Sedentary lifestyles can be an elderly persons reason for poor health. Including physical activity into your life is like an extra insurance policy that everyone should make part of their life.

Following a good exercise and nutritional diet plan can actually increase your chances of avoiding an early death by 50% according to researchers, not to mention exercise has been found to grow brain cells in older people.

Your body taking on a nice healthy looking shape is only part of the benefits of regular exercise but your mind will benefit as well. Exercise will set loose endorphines, giving you a natural high, similar to what runners call a "runners high".

To remain healthy and fit into your years, you must not ever quit since all the benefits you recieved while you were active in a fitness program will be lost not long after you decided to quit. This includes all the problems associated with obesity, plus your strength and stamina will decrease and any blood pressure or cholesterol challenges you may of had.

Exercise is probably the closet thing to the fountain of youth and all it takes is some willingness and determination.