It’s common nowadays for people to schedule a fitness plan. Whatever the drive behind it, whether health-related, performance-related or just plain vainglory (虚荣心), it is not uncommon for people to take regular exercise.

But if you’ve never done it before, what’s the best way to go about it? Well, many people make use of a PT — that’s a personal trainer. This might be because they’re wet behind the ears or maybe they just don’t want the trouble of designing their own workout plan. A PT will create a plan based on the aim of an individual. They will tailor it to your current abilities and, better still, they will teach you how to move in a proper way.

However, the trade-off with a PT is the price. Each hourly session can be steep considering the double whammy of having to pay both the PT and membership of the gym. If you are at all strapped for cash then regular sessions might be out of your budget.

So what’s left? Well, if you have the grit for it, you can make your own plan. It’s relatively easy to do if you have the know-how. But before you do, here are some basic pointers.

First, keep your fitness goal in mind. Are you looking to slim down, bulk up, or get shredded? Whatever it is, make sure you choose to be in pursuit of that goal. Next, do your research. Social media is full of fitness videos and advice. Watch as many as possible, but make sure to be critical of them — everyone has a different body. Finally, keep your feet on the ground. Be patient with yourself and set realistic goals — it takes at least three months to see realistic body changes. A good workout is difficult and challenging, but never painful. Pain means you are damaging yourself.

Due to the heavy academic pressure and safety issues, our children’s movements are limited by a lack of extra-curricular activities, which usually ensure that they meet the daily recommended level of physical activity.

For those children attending a high school, my own included, the morning and afternoon walk could be the only chance that they get to spend time outside. This is a golden opportunity to add sports into their day, without taking part in group sports or going to a closed indoor gym(健身房).

For walking to school, there are also many other benefits, such as improving school performance, reducing anxiety, improving spirits, better sleep, a sense of independence,opportunities to meet friends or think alone, paying attention to small details and being amazed by the surrounding environment.

However, parents still have fears. Parents fear cars, injury, extreme weather and even wild animals. These fears, many of which are almost impossible to happen, prevent parents from allowing their children to do something that’s actually beneficial to them. “Removing an opportunity to be active leads to an increase in childhood obesity(肥胖), which can have a greater negative impact on a child’s life than the risk of being injured due to being active,” saidDr. Mariana Brussoni, a professor who researches children’s outdoor and risky play.

When it comes to changing the culture around parents driving children to school, much work still needs to be done. Therefore, parents should try to let go slowly and give up the idea that driving their children to school is convenient. Brussoni said, “We hope to shift parents from focusing on protecting their children to trusting their independent abilities.Schools can also play a role in encouraging children to walk to school.”

People rarely feel their cleanest after a workout, but your own sweat might be the least of your issues. Your gym equipment could also be full of bacteria. Fitness equipment review site FitRated.com got bacteria samples from 27 pieces of equipment from three large gym chains. The results will make you want to take a long shower.

Touching a surface with bacteria won’t necessarily make you sick. Some bacteria aren’t harmful, and others won’t do any harm in small amounts. But the fact that 70 percent of bacteria from the tested equipment FitRated.com tested were potentially harmful isn’t very comforting. If you tend to skip wiping down your workout machine, take that extra 30 seconds before and after you use the equipment. Even if you’re not a germaphobe（有洁癖的人）, you’ll be doing the rest of us a favor.

And since you can’t control what everyone else does, avoid getting sick by waiting to wipe your sweaty brow until you’ve washed your hands. “Your best defense is to be aware of washing your hands post workout and before eating or touching your face,” Kelly Reynolds, microbiologist and associate professor at the Zuckerman College of Public Health in Arizona, tells HuffPost. Oh, and don’t you dare rewear your sweaty clothes without doing laundry?