Article: Make an appointment to speak to your doctor prior to starting any new exercise routine.  Not all physical activity is safe for everyone, so you need to make sure that your activity plan is safe and appropriate for you.  If you currently have a medical condition or injury, talk to your doctor about what types of activity are appropriate for you.  They may give you some restrictions, but also provide guidelines of what is acceptable and safe. Also, if you suffer from a chronic injury, speaking to a physical therapist or orthopedist might be a good idea.  They can give you detailed guidance on what to do or not do. If you begin a workout routine and experience any pain, shortness of breath or other side effects, discontinue immediately and consult with your doctor. Although exercise DVDs generally do not require a lot of equipment, you should evaluate your in-home set up and what you'll need to do to make exercising feasible.  Choose a spot where you plan on exercising.  Make sure you'll have enough space to move around or perform the exercises suggested in your DVD in a safe manner.  You may need to move some furniture or other items out of the way. Also consider the flooring.  If you have hardwood floors, you may need to purchase an exercise mat to make floor exercises more comfortable. After reviewing or watching a few exercise DVDs you can assess what at-home equipment you will need to purchase.  However, make sure you've fully decided on what DVD or program you're purchasing before spending money on any required equipment.  Some DVD programs will require fitness equipment.  Items may include:  an exercise mat, a stability ball, a set or two of hand weights, resistance bands, kettle bells or a foam roller. If you have little room or a small budget, find DVDs that require little to no extra equipment.  Some programs offer routines that use furniture or other common household items for their workouts.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Talk to your doctor. Prep your home. Purchase at-home exercise equipment.