How to pick your perfect exercise

And although your exercise program should be enjoyable, there are some rules that ought to be followed.

A new article, by Jean Claude-Vacassin published in The Telegraph, London, shares a five-point plan on how to pick your perfect exercise, keeping in mind that any program should focus on safety, effectiveness and progress.

Exercise should benefit a certain goal

If an exercise won't help you achieve your goals then why do it?

Choosing an exercise because you enjoy it is important but as Claude-Vacassin points out, "If you're trying to increase single leg stability for example, standing bow-legged on a balance board is probably not what you should be doing, no matter how much fun it might be."

Think about it.

Consider your body

People come in all shapes and sizes and for this reason some exercises are better to suited to some than others.

Limitations and injuries should also be considered, listen to your body and choose an exercise you can perform safely.

For example, squats are a great strength-building exercise for the lower body, but if you lack the "mobility and stability" needed to execute a squat the chance of injury becomes higher.

Manage your time effectively

When there aren't enough hours in the day, exercise is usually the first to go.

Limit your excuses and make your program as time efficient as possible. Claude-Vacassin says, "For general fitness and fat loss, you can get a lot done in a relatively small amount of time."

Effective and time-efficient exercises include: squats, lunges, deadlifts, chins ups and interval style training.

Be wary of extreme fitness

Thankfully, extreme exercising has run its course.

And while developing muscle strength is extremely beneficial, "very few of us should be performing Olympic lifting movements, and fewer of us still should be pairing these with sprints for example," says Claude-Vacassin.

Sure, calories will be burned but at what cost?

Be clever

Plan a program that will help you achieve your goals. When it comes to the gym, exercises should be "mix and matched sensibly".

Choose a complementary program that will improve your performance, rather than hinder it.

For example, runners should spend time in the gym focusing on strengthening their cores, hips and back and give their knees a break.

Find a fitness family

Community plays a big part in fitness.

When joining a fitness group, look for attitudes that match your own.

Ignore the latest fads and ultimately focus on finding an exercise that will help you achieve your goals.