It is universally recognized as one of the top hospitals in the world. The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota employs the top doctors and researchers in a number of specialties including Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. The staff has developed a series of guidelines which will help you set up your own exercise program.

The Mayo Clinic cautions all people to check with their doctor before beginning a workout plan but points out that almost everyone can benefit from physical activity. An exercise program that is followed closely will help you lose weight, improve sleep habits and reduce the risk of chronic disease. The medical experts recommend starting an exercise program by first assessing your fitness level.

Doctors at Mayo say it is very important to know how fit you are when you begin your exercise program so that you can measure your progress. Record your pulse rate before and after a one mile walk. Time your walk so you know how long it takes. The Clinic also wants you to determine how many push-ups and sit-ups you can do and measure your waist. Every month or so, check all of these things again to note your gains.

The Mayo Clinic Fitness Program encourages some type of physical activity every day for a total of 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 150 hours of strenuous aerobic activity each week. The doctors also recommend two days of strength training each week. It encourages people to build some variety into their exercise program to combat boredom and to get the benefits of cross training. Mixing up your routine will avoid overworking one particular muscle group or joint. The Mayo staff also stresses that rest is an important part of any exercise program because the muscles need time to recover from the workout.

When just beginning an exercise program, the doctors say it is very important to start slowly and build up gradually. As your stamina builds you can start to increase the length and intensity of your exercise. It is also important to note that you do not need to complete your exercise program at the same time, activities can be spread out over the course of the day if that is more convenient.