How many times have you promised yourself that this Monday would be the Monday you started exercising? How many times have you joined a gym, purchased a fitness DVD or brought home new exercise equipment, only to lapse into old habits within a few weeks? Getting enough exercise is essential for good health and weight maintenance. It can also help you lose weight more quickly. But for many of us, sticking to an exercise routine is harder than getting started in the first place. Use these tips to make fitness a part of your everyday life for weeks, months and years to come.

3 Simple Tips For Making Exercise A Habit

1. Add the spice of life to your fitness routine – variety helps prevent boredom and makes you less likely to quit, so try out several different types of exercises. Having several different types of activities to choose from can also make it easier to fit fitness into your daily life when outside circumstances, such as weather or schedule, change. Can’t run outside because of the rain? Catch an exercise class later in the day.
2. Exercise first thing in the morning or before you get home from work – scheduling your workouts before you begin the day decreases the chances of something coming up that prevents you from exercising. If early mornings aren’t a good match for you, working out before you come home from work and get into the evening routine of family and household responsibilities is also a good solution.
3. Track your progress – keeping a record of what you’re accomplishing can be a powerful motivator. You might write down your weight, the number of steps you’ve taken in a day, or how many cumulative miles you’ve run.