Hire a Personal Trainer

• Enlist the professional advice of a certified personal trainer. A handful of sessions provide a solid foundation of knowledge to maximize the effectiveness of future exercise sessions and keep you injury-free. Many personal trainers give group rates, so split the session with a partner and save money.
  
  

Have a Spotter

• Have a spotter if you lift heavy weight-loads or are new to lifting. Proper form and technique are crucial to avoid an injury from bad alignment or dropping the weight because you lack the power to complete a lift. A spotter can guide the weight, ensuring proper form and alignment, and provide a boost to help you get past that sticking point.
  
  

Warmup

• Prepare your body for exercise by warming up 5 to 15 minutes or until you break into a sweat. Warming up increases your heart rate, muscle temperature, blood flow and respiration rate. Types of warmups depend on the activity you are engaging in. If you're running, warm up by walking or jogging slowly. If you're lifting weights, warm up by doing a few light repetitions before you move on to more strenuous activity.
  
  

Breathing and Weight Training

• Exhale through the hardest part of the exercise and inhale during the easiest. Exhaling your breath enables you to get through the sticking point of an exercise. Never hold your breath.
  
  

Stretching

• Stretch warm muscles after a workout. Hold static stretches for 15 to 30 seconds only to the point of minor discomfort. Never bounce; instead ease into the stretch and breathe naturally.
  
  

Cardio Machine Form

• Maintain good posture on cardio machines. Don't slump over the machine or use a death grip on the handrails. Instead, stay erect with your eyes focused ahead and use a light grip on the handrails for balance only. Slumping inhibits your ability to breathe deeply and can lessen the effectiveness of your exercise session.