It can be a courageous decision to start a fitness regime and it will take some determination and self control to stay with it and see results. It can be totally demoralising to find you don't have enough willpower to stick at it but unfortunately this is what happens to over half of those who decide to get fit and shapely. For most of these it will have been an impulsive thought to get into shape and they find a hectic schedule, boredom or even thinking they are already fit enough, convincing enough to make it not worth the effort.

One way to avoid this is to set yourself a goal. If you want to lose weight, determine an amount. If you want to be able to run a long distance comfortably then build up by training. Set yourself a clear goal so you measure your progress and make your goal realistic. Shedding a pound or two each week through a calorie controlled diet and regular exercise is a realistic goal. Losing forty pounds in a month is not only a fantasy but could seriously damage your health.

Once you've set your goal, monitor your progress regularly. This will help motivation as you will have evidence of your achievement. Don't go overboard with scrutinizing your progress as day to day you will see little change. If you're trying to lose weight, don't step on the scales every morning as your body weight will vary from day to day naturally. It's easy to feel disheartened if you see no change and will be tempted to give up al because of normal fluctuation.

Don't keep to the same exercise routine, add as many variations as possible. Working out may be beneficial to your health but only serious athletes never get bored. It will become monotonous if you're repeating the same few exercises over and over again, so change them round every so often and don't let boredom set in. if you feel your schedule is getting tedious no matter what you try then ask for help from a trainer or veteran.

Find a companion to workout with. It's much more enjoyable to have someone to share all the pleasure and pain with. Help and encourage one another to achieve your goals and you will both have a more positive outlook. Most of all never let yourself come up with silly excuses for avoiding a workout.