How to Keep Up with Exercise

One of the best ways to keep up with exercise is to add a friend. That way, when you feel like staying home, you have someone to remind you of your goals and get you out the door. Whether exercising by guilt, motivation or ambition, a tag along can play a large part in your success. Just be careful when selecting a partner. They need to be strong, vigilant and driven, dragging you outside when you call to cancel an afternoon meeting.

Joining a club, class or league is also a great way to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Only 30 minutes a week, you can do things like yoga, swimming or dance to relax and strengthen your muscles. But if you want to get a bit rough, get back into sports. Things like basketball, football, soccer and baseball are played year round while activities like Frisbee golf, rugby and bowling are increasing in popularity.

Another great way to keep yourself going is with a prize. It can be a scoop of Non-fat frozen yogurt, a trip to the movies, or a fat free coffee from Starbucks. If money's tight, no problem; the reward doesn't have to be bought. Enjoy a night off from cooking, a stroll in the park or a luxurious bath. If your life is filled with the "rush-rush" of work and family, find a reward that gives you a moment of solace to relax and appreciate the day.

The thought of joining a gym sends shivers down the spines of many, but it gives you easy access to outstanding equipment and physical trainers. It also arouses a competitive nature, causing you to strive for excellence instead of simply participating. With swimming pools, yoga, aerobics and even indoor track lanes, a gym houses thousands of activities guaranteed to help you lose weight and build muscle.

In fact, you can outline a plan with a trainer to help you work on certain parts of the body, such as the thighs and hips. They can show you exercise machines specifically designed for that area, exercises that can be easily performed at home and map out an overall plan for your body, incorporating your height, weight and skills. Here, specific exercises are mixed in with full body exercises such as swimming, running or dance to activate the entire body while minimizing a particular area along the way.

If you are looking to stay inside (and save a little cash) a work out video can take you a long way. There are multiple videos available, some for overall fitness, others focusing of specific areas of the body. One of the best work out videos for beginners is by Leslie Sansone. Upbeat and high-energetic, Leslie takes you through a 30 minute routine that ranges from walking to high stepping and sliding in a slow to medium pace. She has it strategically organized so that as you advance, you can quicken your steps and add more moves to her routine, but at first, step-by-step you just need to hang on.

The best way to incorporate a work out video into your daily schedule is first thing in the morning. That way, you are up, awake and highly energetic, not worn out from the havoc of work or caught up in the needs of the family. If you don't have it in you to get up earlier, try to exercise the moment you walk inside. For many of us, the second we see the sofa ambition begins to waiver. Remind yourself that it is only thirty minutes, and even better, think of the prize coming afterward.