How to Stick With Your Fitness Routine

Many women enter the world of exercise and fitness with lofty goals and ambitions. Eager to achieve their goals quickly, they scramble to the health club, hop on the treadmill, and exercise to exhaustion. After experiencing muscle soreness the next day, they decide that exercise is not for them.

How can you can stop this self defeating behavior and get on track to achieve your fitness goals? Follow these simple guidelines and you can turn your fitness defeats into stunning successes:

1. Establish your fitness goals before you start to exercise. Keep a journal and write down the long term toals you plan on achieving over the next year or so. At the same time, list several short term goals such as "walking at least one mile per day" which you plan on achieving over the next 2 months. When you conquer your short term goal, reward yourself and add a new one. These small victories and rewards help to keep you motivated.

2. Vary your workout routine on a daily or weekly basis. Let's face it. Any form of exercise becomes monotonous if done the same way every day. Varying your routine may be as simple as adding some lively music or wearing a new pair of exercise shoes. For more variation, change the form of exercise you do periodically. If you routinely walk for fitness, try a day on the exercise bike. You'll likely experience renewed vigor and vitality for exercise after breaking from your normal routine.

3. Don't try to do too much too soon. Avoid having unrealistic expectations! Be prepared to make gradual fitness gains over time. Trying to do too much too quickly is a recipe for failure. It's not realistic to expect to train like a marathoner if you haven't exercised in a year. Start slowly and reward yourself for small gains. Build on your small successes and you'll gradually achieve that firm, toned body you've always hoped for.

4. Wear appropriate exercise gear and learn to use the equipment properly. The last thing yo need when you start your fitness routine is an injury! Investing in a good pair of runninr or walking shoes can give you the support you need to prevent sore, achy legs and ankles, or even worse an injury requiring medical attention. Likewise, make sure you understand the proper use of fitness equipment you use in your routines.

Now that you know how to stick with a fitness routine, why not get started? The sooner you start, the quicker you'll have the firm, toned body that comes from reaching those small fitness goals.