Starting with one or two types of exercises or physical activities and a schedule that you really can manage, then adding more as you adjust, is one way of ensuring that you will keep exercising.

You are also more likely to keep exercising if you feel you can do your exercises correctly and safely, feel that they fit into your schedule, and don’t feel that they result in negative experiences, such as financial burdens or lost time.

Just knowing that physical activity can improve your health and abilities can be enough to keep you exercising, but you might need extra motivation sometimes.

For those times:

* try exercising with a friend,
* listening to music,
* charting your progress,
* marking your calendar for exercise sessions,
* giving yourself exercise “assignments” ahead of time,
* rewarding yourself when you achieve your goals.

Overall, your fitness should improve. If you stick with your exercises for more than a month, it’s a good sign that you are on your way to making it a permanent habit.