As well as being a great way to stay fit and healthy, exercise also has many other benefits, both mental and physical. Burning off those excess calories by going for a run or a dance or heading to the gym can help you to look and feel better. You may find it easier to relax and you may sleep better at night.

With so many positive benefits it seems strange that we all find it so hard to keep motivated with our fitness goals. We often have many excuses for not exercising and it is often the easier choice to sit in and watch TV than to go out and release those feel good endorphins.

So how can you get into the exercise habit?

1. Exercise with friends – not only is this a great way to get fit, it’s also a great opportunity to catch up with your friends and hear all their news. Keeping fit with a friend also means that you’re not just accountable to yourself. If you don’t exercise you’re not only letting down yourself, you’re letting down your friend too.

2. Vary the exercises that you do – In order to maintain a regular exercise routine you need to make it fun and enjoyable. One way to do this is to vary the types of exercises that you do. You could go to a dance class on a Monday, a spinning class on a Tuesday, a run with a friend on a Wednesday and swimming on a Thursday. Keep things fresh and do what you enjoy most.

3. Make exercise an important part of your life – Try telling yourself that doing exercise is part of your job or part of your day-to-day routine. This way you won’t avoid doing it and will keep a commitment to yourself. If ‘better offers’ come up, remember what your priorities are.

4. Develop a fitness plan – With the help of a personal trainer or health and fitness expert, develop an exercise plan for yourself that helps you achieve your health goals. Having a plan is also a great way to keep on track of your progress.

5. Set yourself fitness goals – Setting yourself a fitness challenge, such as competing in a 10k running race or doing a triathlon, can help to give you focus when you exercise. Knowing that you have a deadline to be fit is a great motivator and one that keeps many people on track with their fitness regimes.

6. Tell people about your fitness goals – By telling others about your fitness goals you are putting pressure on yourself to continue to train hard. Knowing that other people will now have an expectation of you will help to motivate you!

7. Exercise at a time that suits you best – there’s no point deciding to exercise first thing in the morning before work if you know you are a night owl. For some exercising before work keeps them focused all day, for others an after work gym session helps them forget about the stresses of the day.

8. Focus on your achievements and successes – when you do achieve something you are proud of, it’s important to make it a big deal and to realize how far you’ve come. Use it as a further motivator for your next fitness challenge.

Try some of these tips to get yourself fit again and soon you will be enjoying the benefits of being active like looking good and feeling great.