Five Steps to Exercise Success 

Exercise shouldn't be something you do only when you want to drop those 10 extra pounds or prepare for the charity road race. To be successful, it has to be thoroughly integrated into your lifestyle; it should be something you do as routinely as eating, sleeping, and taking your morning shower. Unfortunately, that can be difficult, as you may already know. The information below may help you stay on course when your motivation starts to flag:

Make it personal. Your first step on the lifelong path to healthy physical activity is to identify what works for you. Think about what kind of activities suit your lifestyle, time constraints, budget, physical condition, and likes and dislikes.

Make it fit. For most people, time constraints are a major problem to overcome. Start planning your exercise sessions by making a detailed schedule of your week. Look for ways you can work in blocks of exercise. Can you get up half an hour earlier every morning for a walk? Would this mean going to bed earlier? 

Be realistic. In addition to the time you schedule every day, look for ways to add bits of activity and recreational exercise-an extra lap around the mall when you're shopping or a Saturday morning bike ride. After the first week, adjust your schedule in places where it may not be working.

Set some goals. Set a long-term goal, and break it into weekly or monthly targets. For example, to drop 25 pounds in a year, you'll need to lose just over 2 pounds a month.

Reward your efforts. Meeting your exercise goals, even short-term ones, is cause for celebration. It reflects your commitment to improving your health. Find ways to pat yourself on the back; rewards that don't involve a high-calorie treat will make you feel best.

Getting back on track. Even the most dedicated exercisers sometimes go astray. Almost anything can knock you off track: a bad cold, an out-of-town trip, or a stretch of bad weather. That's why it's critical to learn how to reclaim your routine. If you've been away from your routine for two weeks or more, don't expect to start where you left off. Cut your workout in half for the first few days to give your body time to readjust. The bigger challenge may come in getting yourself back in an exercise frame of mind. Try to keep confidence in yourself when you relapse. Instead of expending energy on feeling guilty and defeated, focus on what it'll take to get started again. Once you resume your program, you'll be amazed at how quickly it will begin to feel natural. 

For more information on creating and maintaining an exercise program, order our special health report, Exercise: A program you can live with.