If remodeling your lifestyle into a healthier one isn’t a New Year’s resolution this year, chances are it has been in the past in some form or another. The inception of a new year prompts us to visualize a fresh beginning, and for most people that entails cutting back on or eliminating bad habits and incorporating positive ones, like exercise.

But the word itself seems vast and daunting to many of us who haven’t a clue where to begin. In the past, perhaps breaking ground on a fitness routine began by splurging on a high-end pair of running shoes only to have them fast forgotten and wedged in the back of the closet. Some of us signed up, guns blazing, for a gym membership, to wind up with it hardly used and eventually discontinued.

The first step to building and growing affection for an exercise regime is to break it down, one step at a time and one day at a time. Setting overly aggressive goals and failing to meet them is a terrific way to quit. Who wants to partake in a relationship with anything that provides a repeated sense of defeat?

Before You Move Your Body, Move Your Mindset
There are so many excuses not to get up and move: lack of time, lack of sleep, or an abundance of work to attend to, both personal and professional. However, if you actually compare the time you spend exercising to the time you have left in the entire day, it doesn’t seem so overwhelming. And if you are tired, working out will actually increase your energy level. When you set time aside to exercise, remind yourself that you’re committed to following through with it because you want to feel the effects of improved mood and clarity that you’d miss out on if you jettisoned your workout.

Join a Gym and Get to Love It
Those people behind the desks aren’t there just to answer phones and smile at you. Insist upon a tour of your new gym (most gyms will want to offer you one anyway) and ask questions about the machines that interest you and find out how they work. Hire a session with a personal trainer who can customize your regime. Take a group fitness class and introduce yourself to the instructor as a new participant. They’ll be happy to provide guidance and modifications for your particular level of fitness. Do not feel self-conscious about your movements. At one time, everyone in the room had a first class, too. Lastly, even if you prefer to walk, run or bike outside, when the weather’s working against your best laid plans, a gym is often the only option.

Workout With a Buddy-Or Five
People who surround themselves with others who feel positively about exercise are most likely to commit to a permanent routine. The larger your support system, the greater your chances to succeed. Do not succumb to naysayers. No matter how much we love a fun yet indulgent friend, they risk sabotaging your commitment to workout in lieu of lunch or happy hour. Giving in feels good in the short term but exercise feels better long term.

Sign Up For An Event
Registering for a local 5k or organized bicycle ride will give you a goal that forces a training plan into action. People of all levels partake in these events and often times the money raised is donated to charities, so you’ll feel good on multiple levels!

Most importantly, have fun. Like anything in life, you’ll find something that you love to do and you’ll look forward to it. Reward yourself in your progression with healthy treats. Don’t take it all too seriously. If weight loss is a motivating factor know there will be plateaus and some days you’ll be stronger than others. Soon enough the day will come when you realize you didn’t wince at having to settle for the farthest parking space, and you amiably opt for the elevator over the stairs. Start by digging out those running shoes and going for a walk. Happy trails.

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SARAH R. PETER is a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, freelance writer and mother of three young children living in Loudoun County. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >.