1. Keep your exercises simple. In the outdoors, look for props like curbs for step ups, benches for push ups, low walls for dips, and sand for lunges. For inspiration, face the view — the grass, the flower bush, the bay, the stream, the sky.

2. Think minutes rather than miles. If you're a beginner, your goal should be to get 200 minutes of exercise in per week. That is roughly 30 minutes per day. For intermediate exercisers looking to shed some weight, shoot for 230 minutes per week, or 40 minutes six times a week. If you are advanced or serious about getting lean and shedding body fat, than schedule 260-300 minutes per week. That's about 45-60 minutes, five to six times per week.

3. Log your time spent exercising in a journal. Research has shown the most successful exercisers write it down. From the foods you eat to the time you spend on the court, the trail, or the mat, it all adds up to better health and fitness for you.

For Simple Tips to Better, Fitness, Part I, please see the Tuesday, September 5 Daily Tip.

—Tina Vindum, Outdoor Fitness