by Lirpa Yadsloof

Created on: April 19, 2008   Last Updated: January 25, 2012

Obviously, starting an exercise program is difficult. There aren't too many people out there anymore who don't know that exercise is good for them, but finding the time and the inclination to go sweat or make your muscles hurt for an hour a day usually ranks a bit lower on the "to do" list than mindlessly surfing the Internet or cleaning the toilet. It doesn't have to be like this! Just follow these simple tips and create the exercise plan that will work for you.

You should start slow. Jumping into an exercise regime can cause injury and frustration and you need to know your limits. It's a good idea to motivate yourself properly and prepare for your new life of good health.

First, go shopping. No, not for good shoes or workout clothes. Go shopping for underwear or a formal dress. Trying things on that accentuate your out-of-shape body, and that have a "1" in front of where your real size should be will motivate you like nothing else. As an added bonus, the 360 degree view of your butt, thighs and tummy glowing in fluorescent lighting designed more for a surgery suite will most certainly put exercise, or at least severe depression, at the forefront of your mind.

Next, scope out a gym. Some people find that cost is actually a motivator. If you are paying good money every month, you're more likely to go, right? Wrong. After a while, the money you're paying starts to feel like exercise, and it gives you a false sense of entitlement in regards to skipping the gym. You think "Hey, I pay $132 a month; I don't have to go if I don't want to." It's like having a lawyer on retainer. You pay for the security of knowing you can get out of jail if you need to, but you don't actually go rob a bank just to make your retainer worth the money. So, find a really cheap gym. Twenty dollars a month is a nice low price. It's affordable, forgettable, and the gym that can charge this isn't going to come with any of those pesky extras, like trainers or anorexic models that are working off their morning grape. You want the bare bones gym. It should have weights, treadmills, some elliptical machines and maybe a step class or two, offered at times that you have to work; and if possible, located next to a bar or restaurant.

Find a buddy. This is key in an exercise program. You want someone beside you that is just as miserable as you are. If possible, find one who is also more out of shape than you are. This way, any progress you make is automatically higher in comparison to them. Whatever

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