When it comes to maintaining good health, the best rule is that prevention is better than cure. A healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise, a balanced diet and sufficient sleep will help prevent a range of chronic conditions. And the good news is that staying fit can be fun. Varying your fitness routine and adding new styles of music, exploring the parks and forests in your area, and experimenting with new recipes and healthy ingredients will all keep you fit and enrich your life. All you need is the right exercise equipment and you’re ready to start.

Diet and obesity
A sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food are the biggest culprits when it comes to causes of health problems. The proliferation of fast food restaurants means that the food American eat is high in saturated fats, calories from solid fats and added sugars, sodium and refined grains. Since the 1970s, the number of fast food restaurants has doubled, and obesity levels have risen alarmingly.
By 2009-2010, more than 78 million adults in the U.S. and around 12.5 million children and adolescents were obese. If this trend continues, half the adult population will be obese by 2030. Obesity leads to other health problems like diabetes, heart disease and the risk of stroke. In addition, being overweight or obese has a financial cost. It is estimated that being overweight costs $524 for women and $432 for men, while obesity costs women $4,879 and men $2,646 each year.

Getting the minimum amount of exercise
Many of these diseases and the associated health costs can be prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle with enough exercise. But few adults and children get the amount of exercise they need to stay fit. For adults, the Cleveland Clinic recommends 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week. This amounts to at least 2.5 hours per week, and contributes to maintaining cardiovascular health.
However, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, fewer than 5% of all adults exercise for 30 minutes each day, and less than a third meet the recommended weekly amount of physical exercise. Kids, too, spend more time in front of tv or computer screens than ever before. This can add up to 7.5 hours of screen time every day. Even on school days, about a third of all high school students spend three or more hours playing video games.

An active lifestyle can prevent disease
Despite the built-in barriers to fitness in our lifestyles, it’s actually quite easy to get fit and to have fun at the same time. Walking is one of the most popular types of exercise and the easiest to begin. As with any kind of activity, you need the right exercise equipment. In this case, it would be comfortable, well-fitting walking shoes, seasonal loose comfortable clothing with layers you can remove as you warm up, and possibly a Fitbit or other wearable fitness device to track your distance.
You can ramp up your home fitness routine by varying days of aerobic exercise with stretches like yoga or Pilates. Just add music for inspiration. Studies have shown that exercising while listening to music can improve a workout by 15%. You can find the appropriate clothing and shoes at a sports and fitness store near you. You can build up to getting your own home gym with all kinds of exercise equipment including cardio and strength training fitness equipment.

Staying fit can be fun, and once you make the effort, you will find that it become easier over time. It’s important to vary your routine to avoid boredom and plateauing. Making sure you have the right exercise equipment can help to prevent injuries and discomfort while exercising.