Start small. Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with easy walking or gentle stretching. Then speed up to a pace you can continue for five to 10 minutes without getting overly tired.

Be consistent. Try 10 minutes in the morning - every morning. As you get stronger, increase the amount of time per exercise session for one to five minutes. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

Be creative. Besides the usual walking, running, cycling or rowing, try something new. Ask yourself what you'd like to do if you were as fit as you've always wanted to be. Then find small ways to do it. Maybe you can't run a marathon (yet), but you can run around your back yard. Maybe you're not a ballroom dancer, but you can dance like nobody's watching during commercial breaks from TV.

WIN - NO CONTEST!

It's easy to say that you'll exercise every day. It's also easy to rationalize why you didn't do it. "I got busy" or "My child was sick" or "The in-laws came into town."

Finding time to exercise can be a challenge. To make it easier, schedule time to exercise as you would any other appointment. That way, you'll be sure to make it! We rarely treat others as poorly as we treat ourselves.

Make sure you vary your activities (cross-train) so that you can keep the boredom at bay. You should plan to alternate exercise using different parts of your body, such as walking, swimming and strength training.

Many people start exercising with frenzied zeal — working out too long or too intensely — and give up when their muscles and joints become sore or injured. It's important to plan time inbetween your sessions to allow your body to recover.

If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, take a break. You may be pushing yourself too hard. It's ok to give yourself permission to take the day off if you aren't feeling well.

GET STARTED - NOW!

Creativity helps here as well. If you're planning to invest in exercise equipment, shop around until you find something practical, enjoyable and easy to use. If you're concerned about expense, consider buying used equipment. You can make your own weights by filling old socks with pennies or you can fill milk containers with sant.

Take a personal fitness assessment before you begin, and again after six weeks. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that you're exercising just the right amount to meet your fitness goals.

If you seem to lose motivation, try exercising with a friend or taking a group class.