How many times have you started an exercise routine, and after a few weeks stopped with it ? Or missed a few workouts and then couldn't really get back to it ? I'm sure we have all done that at some point in our lives.

Making exercise a habit is key to reaching your goals.

Here are a few tips to make exercise a habit:

1. Build Up Gradually: a gradual build up is key to long term success. If you start too hard too soon, you won't be able to sustain it. You most probably will be sore, and maybe even injure yourself, and will not stick to your next scheduled workout. That doesn't mean that you should only start with one workout a week. Plan the numbers of workouts you are planning to do a week, but start with easier exercises and slowly build up intensity, time and difficulty.

2. Put Your Workouts in Your Diary: have you ever missed an important meeting with a potential client or existing client you want to get more business out of ? I suspect that unless you were snowed in, the answer is no. Meeting potential clients, or existing clients mean reaching your business goals. Well, to reach your weight loss or health goals, you also need to make appointments with yourself and the gym, or the outdoors to reach them. If you can workout fixed days and times, that generally makes it a bit easier, however, if your weeks are varried, you have to be double careful that your workouts are properly marked in your diary. Once it's in your diary, treat them as any other meeting.

3. Be Consistent: Don't miss your scheduled workouts. Ideally, you would follow a plan and tick the workouts off. For instance, if you decide to train for a marathon, or even a 5k run, you would follow a specific plan which will require you to run anywhere from 3 to 6 times a week for a period of time. Ticking off your workouts will give you that extra motivation to stick to the plan. Obviously we're all human and there might be a slight chance you could miss a workout. Don't despair, get back on track straight away, but depending on what plan you follow, wait for your next workout, or perform your missed workout the following day. Don't ever miss more than one workout as it will be much much harder to get back on track. If you do go on holidays, you might not want or be able to follow the same training plan. Just make sure to train lighter, but still as many times a week so as not to get totally out of the habit. Without consistency you won't make exercise a habit. If it's a grey and dull day, still make an effort to go out there. In a few weeks time, it will get much easier once exercise will become a habit. I've never heard someone who has been exercising regularly for months, who suddenly stopped exercising. So be consistent and it will become a habit, and results will show.

4. Enjoy What You're Doing: You have to find the exercise you enjoy doing, or have a real goal you want to achieve to get over the hurdle of hating it until you get hooked, or see results that motivate you to stick to exercise. You don't have to run to lose weight, or become healthy, so if running is not your thing, but you prefer to swim, go swimming. Pick and activity you enjoy doing. If you hate the gym, try and find some fun classes, or find an outdoors exercise group. There are lots of options you can explore, and I'm sure everyone will find something they enjoy doing. However, if your dream is to run a marathon, and you hate running, following a plan, and sticking to it, will in a few weeks time allow you to feel and see progress as long as you find the right plan for your current ability. That progress will spur you on to stick with it, and hopefully a few weeks into your marathon training, the end goal will make it worthwhile you going out for your regular runs, and who knows, you might get the running bug !

5. Be Accountable: Being accountable to someone is a bit part in long term success. And long term exercising will make it a habit. Being accountable to someone means someone will check up on you on a regular basis. This person can be family, a friend, a personal trainer, or even a fitness forum where you can share your workouts, and people will cheer you on, motivate you, but also check up on you if you haven't posted a workout for a while. Potentially you can pick one or more of those solutions to make sure you are totally committed. How would you feel if you tell everyone you're planning a 5k race and after a few weeks they ask you how things are going, and the only thing you can do is tell them you decided not to do it, because you couldn't stick to the exercise plan. Personally, I would feel bad about it. So telling people of your goals, and training plans will help you stick to it. And sticking to it over at least 12 weeks will make it into a habit.

As a personal trainer, I can help with making exercise a habit. All of my clients have integrated exercise into their lifestyle. We have found the exercise style they enjoyed, put sessions in the diary, build up gradually, stuck to the training plan, and they were accountable to me. Seeing people become healthier and reaching their goals, is the ultimate success to the efforts I put in as a personal trainer.

If you're fed up not reaching your goals, and need help, do contact me, Anne Iarchy, Personal Trainer Barnet and North London, on 07880627944 or email me at anne@barnetpersonaltrainer.co.uk