With all the information out there, it can be quite difficult to find the exact program that will be right for you. We will start with the basics.Here are some steps to take to get an efficient workout routine going:

• Set your goals
• Set a timeframe for your goals
• Figure out how to meet your goals with an exercise program 
• Structure your program
• Maintain your program

Preparation for exercise.

Part of a successful workout includes preparing your body for the exercise. You need to have energy for any workout, otherwise your body will not respond in the desired way. This includes eating a   snack   and drinking water. Hydration is key to preventing muscle cramps and other problems that can occur during workout. Always drink at least a 500ml bottle of water before exercising. Since you are doing an energy burning activity a small snack an hour or two before hand can help.

Warm-Up

A warm up is an essential part of your workout. It prepares your body for the workout to come both physically and mentally. It reduces the risk of injury, warms the muscles which in turn improves oxygen supply to the body, increases the blood flow to muscles which allows them to contract and relax more quickly. Basically it prepares your body for the workout to come.

There are many ways to warm up but generally a warm up involves increasing the heart rate and body temperature by moving around a little more than you usually would when checking the mail box. This can include a light jog, jumping, light weights and other specific activities depending on your choice of workout. The following tips can help you make the most of your warm up:

• A warm up should take roughly 5-10 minutes, this will also depend on what sort of exercise you are doing and how long before you start your exercise program. For example, a light workout may only need a few minutes.
• Stretch only after a light warm up and if you haven’t exercised in a while and especially if you have chronically tight muscles. Stretching can make your workout more comfortable. The reason for this is; stretching cold muscles can actually do more harm than good. Imagine bending an almost frozen steak, it’s only causing the cells of the steak to snap or break. If they are warm, they will more likely bend and lengthen the cells.
• Don’t rush your warm-up. The idea of a warm-up is to gradually allow your heart rate and respiration increase. This makes your workout easier and prepares your body for what’s to come. 

When you have completed your warm up, it’s time to move on to the Workout!
There are many different types of workouts and many different elements of those workouts. Below we have information on the most common types of workouts.  

• Cardio
• Strength Training
• Weight Loss  

Cardio Training

You have a number of different goals when it comes to cardio. Cardio training is mainly for conditioning the heart, stamina and of course burning calories for weight loss. There are a variety of elements you should take into consideration.

Type of exercise :

The type of exercise you choose will be based on your fitness level, what you enjoy and the equipment you have available. For beginners, walking might be a good place to start. Any activity that uses the large muscles of the body, (e.g., the legs) and allows you to get your heart rate up counts, so choose what you enjoy.

Cardiovascular training, no matter what the exercise, it’s categorized based on duration and intensity. When you are choosing which type of cardio to do, keep your goals in mind.

• If your goal is to improve your general cardiovascular fitness, do moderate intensity work where you are starting to breathe deeply and you can feel that you are working on.
• If your goal is fat loss but you're in poor shape, do low intensity, long duration work such as walking.
• If you want fat loss and you're in reasonably good cardiovascular shape, do the type that burns the most calories. This is often a higher and ranges more in intensity.

Exercise intensity

Another element to determine is how hard you want to work. Different types of workouts include:

• Continuous training. Walking and Jogging at a medium pace for 30-60 minutes is a good start for this workout. You can build endurance and conditioning.
• Interval training. During this workout you use low and high intensity bouts of exercise. This helps improve aerobic power and burns a lot of calories. You can begin a running program to boost your stamina. Alternating between running and walking can improve conditioning.
• Circuit training.  This type of training involves cycling a series of exercises with little or no rest between exercises. This is good if you are short on time. For more information on this see  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_training
• Exercise duration.  Depending on your fitness level, goals and time restraints, the time you exercise depends on you. You should at least exercise for 20 minutes and have a variety of workouts. You should always keep your body challenged.

Strength Training

When it comes to strength training, the general rule is to work all your muscle groups at least twice a week for basic strength and health gains. But, beyond that, how you set up your program will depend on your goals and fitness level.
The important elements of your strength workout include:

• Type of exercise. You can choose a variety of different routines. You can focus on individual body parts if you want. For a basic workout for beginners take a look at  http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/weighttrainingprograms.html .
  Workout routines, how many sets, how many reps etc, for example, 3 sets of the flat bench press, 3 sets on the incline bench press, and 2 sets of flat bench dumbbell flyes is an example of one of the many chest weightlifting workout routines. A workout split is a term given to how you split up your workout. What days you do what muscle on. For example, doing biceps back and legs on Monday, and doing triceps shoulders and chest on Thursday is a workout split. Here they will give you some sample workout routines, the routine I use, and tell you how to make your own workout routine.
• Strength exercises. The next step is to choose the exercises you'll do and the type of resistance you'll use.  For a good set of exercises take a look at  http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightlifting/a/bestexercises.htm
• Choose reps and sets. How many reps and sets you do will, again, depend on your goals. For building muscle, it's usually 3 or more sets of 6-10 reps; don’t forget a warm up set at half your max weight. For muscle and endurance, 2 or more sets of 8-12 reps; and for endurance, 2 or more sets of 12-16 reps. A good tip is to get your weights session done within maximum 30mins, Go as hard as you can for this time, only resting for 1min between sets. This is because your body’s natural growth hormones will help recovery from this stage on. If you continue, you will only ware yourself out and stay in a catabolic state (eating into muscle, not fat or carb stores)

Remember that both cardio and strength training can be combined. It is common to do both in one workout session on the same day. To set a program take a look at  http://www.fullfitness.net/. There are a few reasons why doing strength training first is a bit more beneficial.

• Doing cardio before weights will pre-fatigue your muscles, limiting your weight training. Doing cardio after weights will not.
• With weight training first it will serve as a sort of pre-exhaust for cardio; lowering your blood sugar and allowing you to burn fat immediately after you start cardio. If you do cardio first, it will take about 20 minutes before you really start to burn fat.

Some good Cardio exercises include:

• Step Aerobics
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Racquetball
• Rock Climbing
• Cross-Country Skiing
• Running
• Elliptical Trainer
• Rowing
• Fast Walking 

Weight Loss Program

A good workout program will help strip away the fat that covers the muscle. If you can burn more calories than you consume, you are on your way to losing weight.   
This workout program helps strip away the fat that (hopefully) is covering the built muscle underneath.

• For this to work, you need to work out roughly 2-3 times a week and go through the following routine 2-3 times per workout. Start by doing 5 minutes of light cardio to warm up and then go through each exercise in rapid succession. Do 5 more minutes of cardio, then go through the list again for the second or third time.
• Cardio. Cardio is a very important factor in weight loss. For serious weight loss all it takes is 30 minutes a day, 3-5 times per week. How often really depends on your weight loss need. 3 times a week is a good start. For a good cardio program see  http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/cardiowtloss.htm
• Increase Extra muscle helps to burn more energy at rest, even if only a little. This is called the resting metabolic rate of muscle or RMR. Extra muscle will also burn more fat in active phase, the active metabolic rate if you like, or the AMR, so having more muscle will definitely help burn more energy and fat. 
• Lift heavier weights. Heavier weights means more muscle and more weight loss.
• Do aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise will build a more efficient body, thus, fat will burn more efficiently when doing all exercises.
• Try high-intensity cardio.  A combination of low and high intensity training will ensure you're working all areas needed for weight loss.

Nutrition plays a key role in a weight loss program. You can find out more information on starting a programme here  http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/12weeks.htm

Yoga

As a form of exercise, yoga consists of postures that embody controlled movement, concentration, flexibility, and conscious breathing. The postures range from the basic to the complex, from the easily accomplished to the very challenging. While the movements tend to be slow and controlled, they provide an invigorating workout for the mind and body, including the internal organs.

• Yoga exercises are designed to ease tense muscles, to tone up the internal organs, and to improve the flexibility of the body's joints and ligaments. The aim of proper yoga exercise is to improve flexibility and strength. Each posture is performed slowly in fluid movements.
• Don't feel overwhelmed by the number of yoga poses. Hopefully, your yoga practice will be a lifelong pursuit, giving you plenty time to learn scores of poses. As your practice progresses, you will feel comfortable taking on more challenging poses. But when you are just beginning, keep it simple.

You can find out more information on specific Yoga styles here  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga

Cool Down

The main aim of the cool down, or as I like to call it a warm down,  is to promote recovery and return the body to a pre exercise, or pre work out level. A cool down gradually reduces the temperature of your muscles and may help reduce muscle injury, stiffness and soreness.

The Key Parts of an Effective Cool Down

• Maintain gentle exercise and Slow down. Slow down when you get to the end of your regular workout. Allow your heart rate to lower gradually.
• Move around.If you have had a high intensity workout, give yourself 5 minutes of to move around.
• Stretch.After you recover a little, stretch your muscles. Stretch the muscles you used. This helps the body relax and increases flexibility. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
• Re-Fuel.Both fluid and food are important. Drink plenty of water, plus a good quality sports drink. The best type of food to eat straight after a workout is that which is easily digestible. Fruit is a good, then a protein shake to help feed your muscles which should be starving if you’ve done things right.

Finding time for regular workouts can be challenging. If you're tempted to skip warming up and cooling down, remember that the time you spend preparing for exercise and cooling down afterward may be as important as the exercise itself. Give your body the time it needs to adjust to the demands of your workout.