Swimming
One of the best exercises you can do for your body is to start swimming. Individuals with joint pain often using swimming as a method for staying in shape because the water cushions their joints. When your body is immersed in water, your body only bears 50% of its weight, giving you a great opportunity to move more because it reduces stiffness and pain. Swimming is a great way to get fit because it involves all the muscle groups. Your legs, arms, back, neck, abdominals, hips, and glutes are all working against the water. Water holds 12 times the resistance of air, forcing your body to work harder to build strength.

To get started with swimming; contact your local health club and sign-up for a water aerobics course. The classes normally accommodate beginners up to advanced swimmers. They will teach you how to find your rhythm and your breath. The classes usually last for an hour and they provide you with a fun way to get in shape. If you struggle with elliptical machines and treadmills, swimming is a wonderful solution because you get to have fun playing in the water while you work on strengthening your muscles.

Skiing
Another fun sport to try is waterskiing and snow-skiing. Similar to swimming, skiing involves all your muscle groups. Snow-skiing involves more work from your lower body whereas waterskiing involves work from all your muscle groups. Water skiing burns anywhere from 300-600 calories per hour. Light snow-skiing burns around 400 calories per hour. This is a fun way to tone up your body and it doesn't even feel like you are working that hard because you are spending time outside doing a fun activity.

Tennis
Tennis helps individuals burn 400 or more calories per hour. It's a great total body workout as you are forcing your body to run and then have down time. This aerobic sport can help you lose weight quickly, especially if you find yourself doing it 3 or more times per week. Find a friend so you can play singles or get a few friends and play doubles. Having people exercise with you can motivate you to actually get onto the tennis court and play for an hour or so.

Football
Playing football on a regular basis will reduce your risk of several heart problems like heart disease and high-blood pressure. Football is considered a moderate to vigorous exercise activity that will increase your metabolism and burn fat. Football has also been shown to reduce the risk of osteoporosis while improving muscle strength. Individuals that play football on a regular basis see an increase in their mood along with lower stress levels. If you struggle with motivation to exercise, football may be the best solution because you need a team of people in order to play. All your team members will be counting on you to come and play with them a few times a week, so this alone can install a fear of social-rejection if you don't go. Your teammates will be there to support and encourage you along the way as you work hard to get fit.