I bet you could come up with a quite a good list. So, if it is so good for you, the question is why don't you, and us as a society exercise more often?

The answer comes down to how packed our lives already are. There's hardly enough time to fit in the things we already do, how could you be expected to squeeze anything else in? With work, family and friends taking a large chunk of our time, there really is hardly anything else left to give.

So how can we possibly fit in an exercise plan, and stick to it?

Many people think it is as simple as will power. You've heard the saying right: ?where there's a will, there's a way.? This is definitely a case of saying it being easier than doing it. You and I both know it is very easy to get very motivated and pumped up when you are first starting an exercise program. All those benefits are fresh on your mind at this point. It is keeping the motivation that's the hard part. Usually the problem lies in the fact that we wanted to start an exercise program for somebody else. They kept telling us to do it, or they want us to get healthy, or someone you respect told you, you should do it.

When you do something like exercise that requires commitment over a long period of time, have to do it for your reasons or it won't last. Otherwise, you'll face a very similar syndrome to the so-called ?yo-yo? dieter, except you'll be a ?yo-yo? exerciser.

So if getting all motivated and hyped about a program doesn't work, what will?

Well, I believe that you can still use that motto: ?where there's a will, there? s a way,? but with a twist.

Instead of trying to force your life onto an exercise program, it is a much better idea to find an exercise program that is just fit for your life. What I mean is that, step back a bit, and don't start exercising for exercising sakes.

If you work in sales, it is commonly taught that ?people buy for emotional reasons, not for logical ones?, and the same thing applies here. Instead of trying to sell yourself on an exercise program because it will give this advantage and that advantage, step back, and think about what automatically motivates you.

If there was a sport you used to love to play, but don't really play it much anymore, there's an obvious opportunity. Maybe its time to dust off your old playing gear, join up a local club and sign up for the next season. Sure you might feel you are not fit enough, but you aren't going to get fit by sitting at home.

I had a friend who loved to play soccer but didn't join a club for a couple of years because he thought he carried too much weight. Well he never lost that weight during those years, and when he did join a club, he found his weight started to decrease. That's because he didn't need to be motivated to go jogging anymore, or to make training. He loved it, so he was there exercising away, keener than ever. He had sold himself on why he should do it. If you had asked him to come jogging with you when he wasn't playing soccer, there's no way he'd come, but it all changed when he took the extra step.

So what if you are someone who doesn't really care about any particular sport, or activity that requires exercise?

Well, what about tapping into the power of your community. If you are about to embark on an exercise program, try and get a friend to pick one out with you. If you can start to exercise with a partner, you'll find it does wonders for how quickly you progress. You'll motivate each other, you'll get involved in friendly competition and most importantly, you'll keep each other going even when one of you doesn't feel like going to do that exercise. Having a friend there makes a big difference.

What if you don't have a friend that you think would like to exercise with you?

There's options for you too. You can join a local social club that just does that activity. So for example, you can join your local jogging club. It's a great way to meet new people and enjoy the exercise, without having to toil through it yourself. That way, you get a support network around you while you improve, and you make new friends.

What you basically want to do is create a situation where exercising is much more desirable than not exercising. So think about all the things you love doing, and see if you can be creative and fit in exercise within those activities. If you can do that and tap into what already motivates you naturally, then exercising, and sticking to the program will be a natural thing. You won't have to force it, you won't have to do it. You'll want to do it. And that's what you are looking for. If you do that, you'll find that you'll be looking forward to exercising, rather than dreading it, and that's what you want.