Motivation is as critical to exercise as a good pair of workout shoes. I have to admit that my willpower for exercise fades from time to time. When it does, it's time to find a new source of motivation. Recently, my son and I came up with a plan so we can help motivate each other.

After my son's soccer season ended, he decided he wanted to take up running. Every day, he walks down to the high school track and then runs a mile. While I know a lot of my fellow writers at That's Fit enjoy running, for me it's just a form of slow torture. Instead, I'm opting to exercise with fitness DVDs in my living room. And here's how I'm keeping motivated: My son made punch cards for each of us -- he gets a punch for every mile, and I get a punch for every mile-equivalent. When we've both punched out a complete card, we get to go do something special. (Probably bowling ... my son loves to bowl.) Since we both have to finish our individual cards, we'll have to keep each other on track.

Health has an interesting article about five different women and their sources of motivation for exercise. Motivation can come in many forms -- how you feel after exercising, wanting to look good in that pair of skinny jeans, improving health, etc. What's your source of exercise motivation?

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Since I rarely eat meat, getting my RDI of iron is difficult for me, but I know firsthand how important it is -- if I'm not getting enough I get lightheaded and lethargic. The same can happen to you!

According to our friends at Fitsugar, we need 18 mg of Iron per day, and without this, we may be considered anemic. Get your share from the following sources:

• Iron-fortified cereal (1 oz) - 4.5-7 mg
• Soybeans (1/2 cup) - 9 mg
• Sun-dried tomatoes (1/2 cup) - 9 mg
• Pine Nuts (1/2 cup) - 9 mg
• Pumpkin seeds (1/2 cup) - 9 mg
• Oysters (3 oz) - 7 mg
• Spinach (1/2 cup) - 3 mg

Want to know more iron-rich foods? Head over to Fitsugar for the scoop on iron.

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Not only is the sea calming for our souls by watching the waves coming in and going out and helping us unwind and relieve stress, but it is a provider of that fun summer vacation to soak up the sun we need and the exercise we need by walking, swimming, or biking.

But we need to look to the sea a little more often for the thousands of types of sea vegetables that we can eat. Sea vegetables are classified into categories by colors of brown, red or green. Each having a distinct shape, taste and texture. The sea cucumber sounds like one of our favorite salad foods but it is not a plant or vegetable. But here are some sea vegetables that are an excellent source of iodine, vitamin K, folate, magnesium and are a good source of calcium, iron and tryptophan. These are some of the most popular types of sea vegetables.

Nori is dark purple almost black in color and turns phosphorescent green when toasted. It is famous for its role in making sushi rolls. You can also slice nori into small strips and sprinkle on top of salads. Kelp is light brown to dark green in color and most often is available in flake form. You can sprinkle on salads or add to water to make a delicious broth. Hijiki looks like small strands of black wiry pasta and has a strong flavor. Kombu is very dark in color and generally sold in strips or sheets. It is used mostly as a flavoring for soups. Wakame is similar to kombu and most commonly used to make Japanese miso soup. Arame has a lacy, wiry look and this sea vegetable is sweeter and milder in taste than many others. Dulse is soft and chewy in texture and a reddish brown color.