Talk to your doctor. Before beginning a new exercise routine, ask if you have any limitations and find out if there are certain exercises you should avoid.

Find an activity you enjoy. There are countless ways to raise your heart rate - swimming, dancing, cycling, yoga, and more. You want the activity to be challenging, but at a level where you can still hold a conversation.

Get up and move. Be active for at least 30 minutes every day. It doesn't have to be 30 minutes all at once, try breaking your activity into three 10-minute buckets.

Mix it up. A well-rounded exercise routine should consist of more than just cardio. It should include strength training exercises 2-3 times per week, such as lifting weights, pushups or planks.

Small steps add up. Working out can be as simple as walking around during your child's soccer game, taking the stairs, turning your meetings at work into 'walking meetings'. Take advantage of any opportunity to move!

Set an example. Go on a family bike ride, take a lunchtime walk with a coworker, or turn date night into exercise night. Fitness can be contagious. Plus, it's more fun when others join in.

Use exercise to de-stress. Stress plays a critical role in our heart health. While most workouts ramp up your feel-good endorphins, workouts like yoga and Pilates are especially good for de-stressing and improving the mind-body connection.

Change your perspective. If you view exercise as something you have to do, it will likely never be enjoyable. Instead, view exercise as something you want to do because it makes you feel good. Once you find a few workouts you enjoy, this will become much easier!