“Find the fun in exercise:” the best fitness advice that I can give anybody. And although I’m not a personal trainer myself, I do know that exercise, although as important as it may be, can sometimes be dull and routine.

Throughout life, you’ll hear things like “learn to love what you do,” and “make the best of it.” Although sometimes accurate, it’s important that we do things we like. Learning to like, in my opinion, is much different from naturally charming an exercise that’s enjoyable. Routines can be easy, and not very strenuous; but after all, they are just routines. As practitioners of fitness and exercise, we should teach ourselves new things, while also teaching our body the same. This is inherently true with things like dance. More specifically, Zumba is an excellent example of something dissimilar, fun, and exclusive. The ability to genuinely enhance cardiovascular function and endurance, while practicing muscle memory routines effectively exercises the whole body. Moreover, it’s very entertaining!

Entering into intramural sporting activities is another way to stay in shape while having some fun! This would include things like summer league softball, volleyball, soccer, etc… Meanwhile, there are less strenuous athletic events like kickball tournaments. Some towns are even host to dodge ball events! Depending upon your competitive level, it may be necessary to enter into a B league, or perhaps even co-ed. This will surely be a primer for more intramurals to come – Leagues typically run all year depending upon each facility’s ability to house its competitors.

But again, exercising doesn’t have to be routine, or highly competitive; so it’s with my last suggestion that I present to you outdoor activities. These are things like swimming, kayaking, tubing, jogging, mountain climbing, etc.. All of these activities are thoroughly enjoyable, and will shed calories. Although some of the above can be viewed as leisurely, they can be very effective ways to stay in shape. Treadmills and Ellipticals will shed weight and enhance muscle strength/endurance, but will never capture the soul and rhythm of dance, or perhaps the wonderment of climbing a mountain.

Remember to pull away from your everyday fitness routines and home gyms. Pick up a class or two of Zumba, or sign up for an intramural soccer league, and be on your way to fitness pleasure and diversity!

Jim Rollince is from Gym Source, distributor of home gym equipment, including treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, arc trainers, and much more! Jim works closely with personal trainers and fitness instructors, helping people to get in shape and stay healthy.

If you want to get buff, or already are and want to maintain it, strength training is the only answer. When you’re at the gym there are endless possibilities for challenging the muscles, including cable and weight stack machines, free weights, isolation stations and more. At home you probably long for the same variety. The good news is it’s easy to get everything you need if you know the price you’re willing to pay.

Splurge
• Life Fitness home gym – If you’ve got about $3,000 kicking around you might be tempted by the Life Fitness G7, which includes a chin-up bar, adjustable cables with quick-lock attachments, dual weight stacks and a mounted exercise book. This home gym is about the best you can get. It allows the user to perform moves on a bench, standing, or using an exercise ball. Search our store to find a variety of home gyms for women.
• Vibration platform- Some say a vibrating platform is simply an unstable surface, much like a stability ball, but others, including many professional athletes and trainers believe it offers much more including increased muscle gains when used as part of a strength training program. Workouts done on a vibration platform are said to require only a few minutes, three to five times a week. Many of these machines cost around $1,000, but Gaiam makes its own version, called the Chi Vibe, which is relatively cheap at between $400 and $500.

Grab the advice below then surf our store to see find great deals on strength training equipment.

Steal
• Pilates bodybands – These kits include an instructional DVD and a set of two or more resistance bands for overall body toning and strengthening. Not only are they about as cheap a strength training system as you can get, at about $30, but they’re extremely portable and easy to store. Just because bands are light in terms of weight, doesn’t mean they can’t put the same force on your muscles as a 10 lb. dumbbell. Besides, you wouldn’t be able to pack your vibration platform in your suitcase and take with you on holiday.
• Stability ball – Sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. Stability balls can be a very useful part of your strength training program. To get the most out of your ball, use it in place of a weight bench. Not only is it a heck of a lot cheaper (about $10 to $20), but it will engage more of your muscles because it’s an unstable surface. You can also use the stability ball to make weight bearing exercises more difficult. Prop it under your hands for push-ups, push your feet into it for pelvic thrusts, place it between your back and the wall when performing squats…the possibilities are endless.

When you’re serious about staying in shape, going for a walk or run involves more than just pulling on a pair of old sneakers and heading out. If you want to be comfortable, stay safe and have fun you’ll want to consider a few essential pieces of equipment.

What you’ll need
•    Shoes – Asics, New Balance, Saucony, Nike, Adidas – the list of respected athletic shoe brands is long. Make sure when you’re *choosing shoes[Athletic Shoes] that they are made specifically for the activity you’ll be doing. Walkers have different needs than runners and require different footwear.
•    Warm weather clothing – Since your plan is to work up a sweat you should be wearing moisture-wicking clothes that pull the sweat away from your body and keep you cool and dry. Cotton is an ok choice, but it can get wet and cause chafing. Clothes should be comfortable and non-restrictive. It’s handy to have a zippered pocket somewhere on your outfit to hold house keys or other valuables.
•    Cold weather clothing - If there’s a chill in the air it’s best to layer clothing on the body and keep extremities warm with lightweight mitts and a hat. Wind resistant outer layers keep away cold breezes. You’ll be glad if you splurge on thermal socks. If you live in an area that gets lots of snow and ice, strap a pair of Ice Joggers over you’re shoes; they have tiny plastic spikes on the bottom to keep you from slipping.
•    Skincare – Skin lotions and lip balms don’t exactly sound like walking and running essentials but they are. Products with an SPF will protect you from the sun’s damaging rays all-year-round, while extra moisturizing products will keep your skin from getting dry and chapped in the winter.

Extras
•    Pedometer – Basic *Pedometers[Choosing the Best Pedometer] can be bought for as little as $10, or more advanced ones for as much as $50. The better models will include a calorie counter, heart rate monitor, distance calculator and be able to differentiate between walking and jogging steps. Some keep track of your steps for up to a week at a time and allow you to upload your data to computer.
•    Tunes – Whether you want a top-of-the-line iPod to hold your library of 10,000 MP3s, or a bargain basement player that’ll hold 250, having some sort of music or instructional tape to keep you motivated is a good idea.
•    Nordic walking poles - Want to boost your calorie burn by as much as 46 percent without feeling like you’re working that much harder? How about reducing tension in your neck and shoulders just by walking in a way that also reduces stress on the knees? These handy poles are the answer. They generally cost about $70 to $100, and come with tips to help you tackle all terrain, including metal tips for slip-free winter walking.

Having a high-fashion outfit, the best gadgets and the priciest fitness equipment money can buy won’t make you an instant pro, but sometimes feeling a bit more like one is all you need.

Why you should give yourself fitness-related rewards
Instead of going out for dinner or splurging on a favorite high-calorie treat, try rewarding yourself with something that’ll help you along your fitness path. A comfy new sports bra or weighted hand gloves can give you incentive to continue your workouts or provide you with a new way to stay active.

Small rewards
•    Pedometer – These handy gadgets will help you make sure you’re getting your recommended 10,000 steps a day. Studies have shown people who wear pedometers increase their daily activity, often resulting in 100 extra calories being burned per day. Many new pedometers double as calorie counters, so you’ll know how many you’ve burned.
•    Sweat-wicking socks - It might not sound like much of a reward but the right socks can make a big difference in comfort when you’re sweating up a storm on the stationary bike. New Balance makes a great CoolMax line that’ll only set you back about $7 to $12 per pair.
•    MP3 player – iPod is the gold standard of MP3 players, but the units often have prices to match. Unless you have a collection of 1,000 or more essential workout songs you’ll be better served looking for a one or two GB MP3 player that’ll keep your workouts interesting with a more-than-enough storage of 250 to 500 songs. For the low prices some online retailers are charging for MP3 players (I got one for under $20) there’s no reason to break the bank.

Worth the extra splurge:
•    New headphones - You’re headphones might be in decent working order, but that doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade to something better as a reward for reaching a fitness goal. To get the most comfortable headphones that’ll stay on while you work out expect to spend anywhere from $40 to $150. Shure sells many top-of-the-line models, but also a few decent ones priced around $50.
•    Mini stepper – This pint sized piece of fitness equipment won’t be what you’ll use for your daily cardio, but it’s a great way to *fit in a little fitness[Sneak Fitness Into Your Daily Routine] during your downtime. A basic stepper costs as little as $60. Set it in front of the couch and step off some extra calories while you check in with your favorite prime-time characters.
•    Two-piece yoga suit – Yes, a pair of old sweats performs the same function, but a matching yoga suit does it so much better. If you clothe your newly buff body in something flattering you’ll be inspired to go to the gym and show it off. Canadian company Roots has a great yoga line with separates you can mix and match.

I for one would rather pay for non-essential items that can help me stay fit and healthy than ones that keep my eyes glued to a screen with my butt on the couch and a remote in my hand.

My dream home gym:

1. Elliptical machine or cross trainer – What cardio machine would I buy if I had unlimited resources? A gym-quality Precor elliptical is a the top of the list, but I’d be just as happy with a good cross trainer. Treadmills are good for variety but I love how easy ellipticals can be. They’re great for adding cardio to strength training intervals or just jumping on for a 10 minute sessions throughout the day.
2. Free weights, bands and accessories – In my dream gym there would be no isolation machines. I’d have a row of dumbbells of every possible weight and resistance bands of every strength. And for those situations where skipping from a 10 to 12 pound dumbbell is difficult, I’d have a supply of  half pound weight magnets to make progression easier. I’d use the resistance bands alone to work my muscles in new ways and pair them with dumbbells or bodyweight exercises to make things more challenging. Push-ups alone are tough, but with a resistance band pulling down against your upper back there’s no comparison.
3. Cables – The other weight training I enjoy most is done on a cable pulley machine, so of course I’d need one of them. Glute kickbacks, cable chops, airplane rows and more can keep me busy for hours.
4. Flat screen TV - I’m not picky about this aspect of my gym. Just a television that’s a decent size and mounted on the wall.
5. Workout video library - Pilates, yoga, dance, kickboxing. I don’t do workout videos on a regular basis but I love watching them for new ideas and the dance ones are just plain fun.
6. Balance toys - BOSU, fit disk, foam roller (also useful to roll the tension out of sore muscles afterward). All these essential balance tools have an important place in my gym. Did I mention a stability ball, which I could use for killer ab workouts and the most challenging balance moves.