While the 20's is often seen as a fun-loving and carefree time of life those people who are still in this decade of their life may disagree. This age group is often very busy completing their education and beginning their careers but this is not a reason to neglect health and fitness. The advantage to being in your 20's and starting a fitness routine is that you are often in the best shape of your life with little wear and tear on your body. You have the greatest stamina and the best possible recovery time should you become injured. So there is no time like the present if you are in your 20's begin a fitness routine today! Yet as with all health related recommendations check with your physician before beginning any new exercise or diet program. Here are some fitness tips for those in their 20's.

• Know your numbers-Beginning in your 20's everyone should know all the important numbers that are indicators of their health. These are: cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. Knowing these numbers will give you a read on your overall health and allow you to manage your health in a knowledgeable way in the years to come.
• Make daily exercise a priority. 20-somethings often use the excuse that they are to busy with college, jobs, establishing careers and marrying to find the time to exercise. Here's a wake up call-life will not get any simpler or less busy! Now is the time to make daily exercise a priority in your life. By establishing the habit of daily exercise in your 20's you are getting the best jump possible on preventing chronic disease, weight gain and are improving the overall quality of your life. Do not be afraid to try different types of exercise. Change up your cardio to keep exercising interesting and fresh.

• Add weight training to your fitness program. Incorporating weight training into your fitness program is also important in your 20's. Weight training will allow you to keep the muscle mass you have (and improve muscle mass if you need to). Also by starting weight training early on in life you will reap the benefits when bone loss and muscle fatigue can set in during the 40's.
• Avoid Excessive Drinking-While 20 something's have the reputation of being the most avid party goers they still need to practice moderation. Recent studies show that excessive drinking is often a problem in this age group. Keep in mind that medical research has shown that a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer.
• Stop smoking or don't start!-Tobacco companies have reported that one of the most lucrative target markets for their products are the 20-somethings. For those who smoke stop now before the habit becomes even harder to throw off and realize that there is good news. Since 20-something's still have much of the healing ability of even children and teenagers quitting smoking in your 20's means that any damage you have done should be able to completely heal itself. And if you don't smoke whatever you do don't start!
• Get enough sleep-With their busy schedules those people in their 20's tend to neglect getting enough sleep. Medical and fitness experts both agree that not getting enough sleep will be detrimental to your fitness and your overall health. Most people need 7 or 8 hours of sleep, and your body functions at its best when you have regular sleep patterns, generally sleeping at about the same time every night. Keep in mind that if your workouts, aren't going well, consider whether you're getting enough sleep.