Choosing activities that are right for you is important--otherwise you may lose interest or hurt yourself and drop out.

What's more, no one activity will meet all your needs, so take the “cafeteria approach" to fitness. Try a few things to help you decide what suits you best. And don't rely on one activity--that can get stale. Variety helps you stick with your program, too. For example, if you like to play tennis but your partner is out of the game with a cold one week, you can walk, cycle, or swim as a backup plan.