To avoid muscle and joint injury, it is important to carry out warm up and stretching exercises prior to any fitness training workout. Exercising can be further improved by learning some other points related to this. Firstly, stretching should be carried out because it improves the flexibility of muscles and joints prior to and after a workout. By allowing this five minute period at the end of an exercise routine will increase muscle flexibility, well beyond the physical activity period and lessen the chance of injury after the workout.

Although a twenty second stretch is sufficient before a routine, if this increased to a minute per movement there is a considerable increase in the flexibility of the muscles and limbs. Many people make the mistake of stretching and returning to their original position to quickly when the movement should be slow and measured. At the point of greatest stretch, hold the position before you slowly release, this avoids any potential strain or the possibility of injury from jerking your joints. Do not jump from an easy stretching exercise to a hard one, but complete the easiest first and do the hardest last as by this time most of your muscles will be warm and it will make the difficult exercise easier.

A commonly forgotten area of the body to warm up, and one that is easy to injure, is the neck so make sure that the neck is warmed up by applying pressure to the head at the front, back and sides using pressure from the palm of your hand. Stretching should also take place during any fitness training workout as well to keep the muscles and joints flexible especially prior to an exercise that may be strenuous on particular areas of the body. Do not overstretch your self performing exercises you are not yet ready for just because there are others who can as this will cause further problems; work to your own pace. Do not expect your body to be able to carry out the same exercises and level of training every time you go to the gym because some days you will have a better workout than others; this is perfectly normal and to be expected.

Fitness training everyday can be punishing for the muscles and does not allow them to heal and grow so try to leave a day between workouts. Increasing your lung capacity, which means you won't get out of breath so easily and heart improvement exercises like walking, running and rowing for instance are the best to start with and you will find weight machines much easier to use. If you are someone that likes aerobic exercise then you should listen to music if possible as it helps to have a regular beat. Stretching your body is a form of exercise in itself and a pleasant way to relax at the end of a hard day so it is worth doing regularly even if you do not want to workout. Even if you do not intend to workout, stretching is an excellent way for the body to relax, especially if you find yourself in one position for a good deal of the day.