The key to a good fitness plan is customization. Your success will depend on building the plan that specifically meets your needs. Before you begin, ask yourself what particular goals you would like to meet.

If your ultimate goal is to lose weight, you will need a plan that combines 30 to 45 minutes of cardio four to five days a week with strength training and ab exercises designed to tone and sculpt muscles.

If, on the other hand, you simply want to maintain your current weight, your plan will most likely consist of 20 to 30 minutes of cardio four to five days a week and a series of strength training and ab exercises.

Tailoring your plan is the key. Once you have decided what it is you want to accomplish, i.e. your expected end result, you can then begin choosing exercises. If you have never put together a fitness plan before, it is a good idea to consult a fitness trainer. A trainer can show you hw to assess your exact needs and help you find a solution for the areas that plague you.

When choosing exercises, select ones that will target each muscle group. Remember, you are going for a complete body workout, so you want to exercise them all.

Plan a schedule. Do different exercises on different days. For example, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you might begin with 45 minutes of cardio. A treadmill or exercise bike will work well for this. If you prefer something a little more interactive, choose a workout video that walks you through a regular aerobic routine. If you prefer the outdoors, consider walking or running instead.

Next, you could move through an ab routine. Put together several exercises that will target your abs and obliques.

On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, continue with your 45 minutes of cardio. This time, however, mix in interval training. For this, you will walk for a few minutes, then run for a short duration. On example of this would be walking for four and running for one. Repeat this until your 45 minutes are up. Follow this with a series of strength training exercises.

Over time you will need to adjust your routine to fit you as an individual. If your goal is to lose weight, monitor the number of pounds you lose a week. Should you reach a plateau, alter your routine by adding time to your cardio training, lengthening the amount of time you run during your interval training, or adding more weight and reps to your strength training.

Eat healthy foods. This is essential to your success. Exercise will burn fat, but it will only be effective if you take in fewer calories.

If you are simply wishing to maintain your current weight, add exercises that will keep your muscles toned. You won’t need to do as much cardio and may decide to forego the interval training altogether since it burns more calories.

As you go along, you will figure out what is and isn’t working for you. Your fitness plan is crucial to overall health and will help you throughout your entire life.