5 Fast Ways to Stick to ANY Exercise Program!

They say that December is the hardest month of the year to stay on top of exercise, but it doesn't have to be. No matter what you do to stay fit -- run, walk, cycle, weight train, kickbox, etc. -- there are five hard and fast rules to remember that most trainers swear by to keep their clients on track and in shape.

1. Imagine your fitness goals paying off. The biggest mistake most people make is forgetting why they're exercising in the first place. Sure, you may know you're exercising to trim up your waistline, but it's easy to lose sight of why being healthier, leaner or lighter is important to you. That's why many trainers insist that it's critical to take five minutes each day and picture the payoff of sticking to whatever exercise program you do regularly. Focusing on how you'll look or feel (or what you'll accomplish) once you reach your target fitness goal -- whether that's to drop 20 pounds, put on a few pounds of lean muscle, run a half-marathon, etc. -- can give you that extra push each day to find the time and energy to persist.

2. Exercise on the same days each week. The more scattered and unscheduled your workouts are, the easier it is to blow them off for another day. Picking specific days of the week (and a specific time of day), helps add a sense of importance to exercise by making it a part of your weekly schedule. This simple trick can make you less inclined to skip it, and, more likely to work the rest of your day around it.



3. Remind yourself of your past failures. As soon as you debate whether or not to blow off exercising, try remembering back to the last few times you canceled working out, then think about how far that hindered your progress. Making yourself remember how skipping a workout could lead to future failures can be a great motivator, especially when you're on the fence on whether to work out or not.

4. Prepare to feel like you're going nowhere. As much as many guys may 'wish' they could see results each and every day when sticking to an exercise regime, it takes a certain amount of time to improve your health, build lean muscle and lose fat. Most people can't accept that fact, which is why they tend to lose interest in exercise and quit after just three or four weeks after starting a program. Instead, expect that you'll feel this way during certain stages, then remind yourself that even if it doesn't 'seem' like you're making headway on your fitness goals, staying on track is still the fastest way to reach them -- so don't quit!

5. Mix it up often. Even your favorite workout can become dull and boring -- and not just for you, but your body as well. By always mixing things up every two or three weeks, you can take some of the repetitiveness out of exercise. For example, if you usually weight train, try using new exercises, change the amount of weight you're lifting, increase/decrease the amount of reps/sets you're doing, etc. If you like to run, try a new route, or a new activity altogether. Anything that feels different to you is sure to feel different to your brain and body, which can help spark new interest in working out and staying the course.

To read about someone who stayed the course for two years and dropped 260 pounds as a result, check out Chad Soileau's story.

Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have, Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and The Men's Health Gym Bible.