Getting fit is something a lot of people could benefit from. Whether you already have a fitness routine of your own or you have just made the decision to get fit, some advice might help you get more out of your fitness efforts. Below you will find a few handy tips on fitness. See which ones are right for you! 

Increase the effectiveness of your walking workout. Bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle and pump your arms with every step you take. This encourages you to walk faster, increases your heart rate, and can burn 15% more calories than if you keep your arms by your side. Try to walk for at least 30 minutes a day, and you will see the results in no time.

Begin with smaller weights when you are in the initial stages of your workout. Smaller muscles will tire long before your larger ones will, so you'll want to start with barbells before you move onto the larger machines. By doing this, your smaller, more delicate muscle groups can rest while you work out your larger muscles.

 To lower injury risk, make sure you have proper form when walking. Walk as straight as you can with both shoulders back. Let your elbows rest at 90-degree angles. If your right foot is forward, your left arm should be forward and vice versa. When you take a step let you heel fall first then move the remainder of your foot forward.

Fitness experts recommend doing slow and sustained stretches three to seven days per week. To learn how to perform stretches correctly without the worry of harming the muscle, you may consider hiring a professional trainer for a few sessions in the beginning of your fitness program to learn how to perform these stretches correctly. Oftentimes, if you join a gym, these sessions are offered free to members. 

Improve your overall flexibility by stretching more of your tighter muscles instead of just focusing on the already flexible ones. This will cause you to be able to work out your problem areas in your muscles. The most popular places that should be focused on include hamstrings, lower back, and shoulders.

You can build up your physical strength through the use of lighter weights. Your muscles will have just as much force as when you lift heavier weights, except you will be going much slower. These are especially great for bench-presses. Go with about 40-60% of what you usually lift and do 8 sets of 12 repetitions pushing the weight up quickly. Have a 30 second rest period between sets.

When trying to improve your putting skills, you should roll a ball across some sort of carpet. You may think that this would not help at all while in fact, it improves your ability to judge the line of the ball and will help improve your put when on the course.

When riding a bike for exercise, you should try riding with only one leg. This forces you to concentrate on the one leg that is moving the entire bike. It also provides more of a workout for that individual leg if you ride it for a significant amount of time.

Stretch every chance you get. Most people will stretch before and after their workouts, but they neglect the time between the two. Do a few small stretches in between each set you perform to enhance your muscle's potential. This keeps the blood pumping into the area, and allows for longer workouts.

Use the same weight. To create strong muscle memory, use the same weight throughout every step of your workout. Muscle memory is important because it enhances your muscles ability to work harder. Once you have established a new weight, you can always increase that limit the next time you visit the gym.

If you are a runner, log the mileage on your running shoes. Shoes get worn out and when they do they can cause pain and injuries if they are still used. A good rule is to replace your running shoes every five hundred miles, even if they feel like they still have some miles in them. A good fitness routine is one tailored to suit its particular user.

You should not be afraid to adjust your own fitness efforts in order to develop a routine that works for you. Ideas like those above can help you build a fitness routine that gives you maximum results with minimum effort.