Spring has sprung and it's an ideal time of year to spring into action about your health and fitness. During the winter, we often put on a few pounds eating comfort food and avoiding the cold. As the warm weather arrives and we shed our heavy winter coats, everyone wants get rid of that extra weight so we can look and feel our best in our tank tops and shorts.

An ideal way to lose a few pounds is to start a regular health and fitness program and do it at least four times a week for a minimum of thirty minutes. Choose an activity you enjoy so you will look forward to exercising. Consider that working out benefits not just your physical, but your mental and emotional health as well. In fact, aerobic exercise and weight lifting helps your body to produce endorphins, naturally making you feel happier. According to Harvard psychiatrist John J. Ratey, M.D., working out increases the level of important antidepressant chemicals in your body such as norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. As the levels of these chemicals go up in your body, you get an overall feeling of well-being.

A regular exercise routine not only burns fat and increases muscle, it relieves stress and depression. In fact, a Duke University study revealed that for certain people exercise can combat feelings of depression as well as certain medications - without prescriptions and side effects.

Another benefit of engaging in a regular workout routine is improved sleep. Getting an adequate amount of sleep is essential for our optimum health. According to a recent Stanford University study, people who exercise four times a week for a minimum of thirty minutes showed a large improvement in the duration and quality of sleep.

If you are looking to lose a few pounds and improve your overall perspective, a good health and fitness program is a fun, easy way to feel and look better today.