It makes good sense for women to take on a physical fitness plan. Regular exercise helps women feel better, look better, fight off the negative effects of aging and sleep better. But be careful: It is possible for your fitness plan to hurt you.

A poorly conceived fitness plan can do more harm for women than good. You may embark on a plan that is too rigorous. This will result in sore muscles and aching backs. Maybe your plan doesn’t have enough impact: You’ll see no results.

The key is to develop that fitness plan that is neither too intense nor too easy for your own physical ability. It is this physical fitness plan that will provide the best results in the shortest amount of time.

The best way to do this is to speak first with your physician. Your doctor can put together a physical fitness plan with you, one that will work with your strengths to address your weaknesses.

Once you and your doctor develop a plan, it’s important for you to follow it. It doesn’t help to have the perfect fitness regiment sketched out if you’re going to take short cuts or cut corners. If you do this, you again run the risk of causing your body more harm than good.

To find the right fitness plan, you must first take a close look at yourself and your personal habits. Are you able to motivate yourself? Then you might be able to stick to an exercise plan on your own.

Are you the type of person who easily gives up, or who becomes quickly discouraged? You might do better in a group setting, where there are other people to help motivate you and keep you on track.

If you are easily distracted from a goal, you might benefit from joining a workout class at your local gym or YMCA. Perhaps you can form a walking or bicycling club with a group of your neighbors. It’s harder to quit something if others are encouraging you to stick with it.

But whatever type of exercise plan you craft, make sure you follow some simple rules to guarantee that your fitness plan won’t cause you any physical harm.

First, don’t try to do more than your body can handle. For instance, don’t try to lift a 100-pound weight if you haven’t been in the gym in six months.

Secondly, if you do feel pain, stop what you are doing. Exercise is work. It is tiring. And it’s difficult. But it’s not supposed to hurt. If you try to push through the pain, you might cause yourself some serious harm.

Weight-loss myths can confuse you and waste your time – so avoid them!

It’s hard enough for women to lose weight. But when women fall for several common weight-loss myths, it becomes especially hard to drop those extra pounds.

Here is the scoop on some of the more common weight-loss myths. If you want to lose weight, don’t believe these falsehoods.

First, weightlifting isn’t only for bodybuilders. Lifting free weights is one of the most effective ways to tone your body and shed extra pounds. Free weights are also perfect tools for targeting specific areas of your body.

You can lift weights without looking like a bodybuilder. Lifting relatively light weights in several repetitions, in fact, is a terrific way to build your strength and flexibility.

Secondly, resting your body isn’t the same as goofing off. Every body needs rest. It helps rejuvenate tired and sore muscles. You can’t perform an extensive workout every day. It’s not healthy.

You should also realize that running is not necessarily the best form of cardio workout. In fact, running can be particularly stressful on your knees and joints. It’s also a grueling way to workout. Most people, in fact, do not stick with a running or jogging program.

Instead, you can gain an equally effective cardio workout by bicycling, fast walking, hiking or even participating in organized sports. All of these workouts are more enjoyable, too.

Finally, hitting a specific weight is not the best goal for women hoping to get into better shape. Aiming for a particular number on the scale can result in frustration. A better measure of your health is how you feel and how your body looks.

Avoid the more common weight-loss myths, and you’ll find losing weight to be an easier process.