Easy Ways to Make Exercise a Habit #1 & 2:Variety and Commitment

Let's face it: it's not all that difficult to start a fitness routine. After all, most of us have done it more than once in our lives. The trouble, of course, comes with sticking with it. All too often, our initial enthusiasm and energy fades away, we get distracted by other things going on in our lives, or we don't think we're seeing results quickly enough - and we simply throw in the towel and stop altogether.

Yet many people manage to hang in their and would no sooner skip their regular workout than their morning cup of coffee. How do they do it?

A recent study by researcher Diane Klein, PhD, shed some light on the subject. Long-term exercisers (who had been working out for an average of 13 years) were asked to rank what motivated them to keep up with their regimes.

Their answers may surprise you. The exercisers were not as concerned with having six-pack abs as they were with feeling good and being healthy.

Here's how the study participants ranked their motivators:

• Fitness
• Feelings of Well-Being
• Pep and Energy
• Enjoyment of the Exercise
• Making Exercise a Priority
• Sleeping Better
• Feeling Alert
• Being Relaxed
• Weight Management
• Appearance

So once you have your priorities in the right place, how can you become faithful to fitness?

This week's blog posts will feature 2 tips each day to help you make fitness a habit in your life. We compiled the list from WebMD, who sought help from Klein, along with long-term fitness buff Roy Stevens and his wife, Wanda, who is transforming her sporadic exercise schedule into an almost daily habit.

Easy Ways to Make Exercise a Habit #1 & 2: Variety and Commitment

1. Do a variety of activities you enjoy

And remember - there is no rule that says you have to go to a gym or buy equipment!

"We've shifted our perceptions from regimented exercise to physical activity," says Klein, assistant professor of exercise, sports and leisure studies, and director of gerontology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Having a variety of activities - weight lifting, walking, running, tennis, cycling, aerobic classes - will ensure that you can do something regardless of the weather or time of day.

With more than 80 classes per week, members of Mettler Center have no excuse to ever get bored with their workout. With everything from cycling to strength class to Zumba to yoga, you are bound to find a class that fits your exercise plan. Not a member? Nonmembers can purchase punch cards for classes or pay on a per-class basis.

2. Commit to another person

"The social aspect of exercise is important for me," says Wanda Stevens, a stay-at-home mom in Austin, Texas. "I'll let myself off, but if I've agreed to walk with a friend after dinner, I won't let them down."

Meeting and working out regularly with a friend, especially one who is at about the same stage as you, will improve your attitude immensely. This is one strategy that has helped many to stick to their program. Watch each other, help and encourage each other, rejoice and commiserate together and enjoy the company. You will begin to rely on each other for moral support and accountability.