15 tips to stick with your exercise program

You’ve decided to start an exercise program and that’s great. Unfortunately, more than half of all people who start an exercise regimen quit within the first six months. It is not easy to develop a successful exercise program that you will stick with for the rest of your life. However, there are steps we can take to increase our enthusiasm and make it easier to stick with the program in the long term. Specifically, these 15 behaviors will help you stick to an exercise program for years to come:

1. Set realistic goals. Make sure your expectations of your exercise program are reasonable.

2. Write down your goals and post them in a visible area. This provides you with a constant reminder of why you are exercising.

3. Share your goals with others. This allows your friends and family to cheer you on.

4. Constantly monitor your progress. Constant improvement is a great motivator.

5. Pick a convenient time and place for your workouts. You’re much more likely to stick with your exercise program if it’s convenient for you.

6. Start easy and slowly increase your effort. Bottom line, don’t overdo it!

7. Keep your exercise sessions short. 30 minutes is enough in most cases.

8. Choose a variety of exercises and activities to avoid boredom. Boredom is a common reason for abandoning an exercise program.

9. Combine family time and exercise. For example, walking, hiking, skating, and bicycling offer opportunities to combine exercise with family time.

10. Learn to do your exercises safely. Injury and pain are common reasons for leaving an exercise program.

11. Exercise at the same time every day. This will allow you to get into the habit of exercising at a certain time of day.

12. Keep an exercise journal. This provides you with a picture of your progress, which can be a great motivator.

13. Schedule activities around your exercise sessions. Once you’ve identified the days and times you’ll exercise each week, schedule your other activities around these times. This shows the importance of your exercise program in your life.

14. Don’t stress if you miss a workout. Missing an occasional workout is not a problem. In fact, it is to be expected. Just go back to work the next day.

15. Make sure you have fun. No one stays with exercise unless they enjoy it. You can ensure that you have fun by selecting activities that you really enjoy and exercising with others.