9 Techniques to Make Yourself Exercise ...

First and foremost, you need to set goals for yourself. Often, if you're actively working toward something, then it's easy to take the steps you need to in order to exceed your goal. Goals work for your job and for your lifestyle changes. However, you have to make sure your goals are within reach, because when you overwhelm yourself, it's easier to quit.

If you can't motivate yourself enough, then you can seek motivation from outside sources. Exercising with friends is a great way to do this. More often than not, you all end up encouraging each other, so it's a mutually beneficial situation. And sometimes, honestly, a little encouragement is all you need to carry on and succeed.

Timing really is everything. As you're putting together an exercise or fitness regimen, you need to make sure that it works into your schedule. Don't say you're going to go to the gym or even exercise at home in the mornings before work, for example, if you know that you're likely to be too tired, or if you know that you always tend to run late in the morning. Then you're setting yourself up for failure.

Sharing the news with everyone is a great way to make yourself exercise as well. You don't have to share your weight loss goals or let everyone know that you want to get down to a certain weight – that can be highly embarrassing. However, you can let your friends, family members, and even your colleagues know that you're going to start exercising. Sometimes knowing that other people know your goals can motivate you to meet them.

The worst thing you can do is choose an exercise routine that you hate. It's way harder to keep exercising if you hate what you're doing. Check out different exercises and techniques, and make sure your workout is composed of the ones you like best. That will make it easier to do your exercises each day.

You have to start slow. You can't push yourself too hard right out of the gate because, again, that's going to get really overwhelming really fast. You may also burn yourself out and get too sore to continue – so then each day, it gets easier and easier to put off picking up your routine again.

The more you stay active, the easier it is to exercise. This is simple, it's just a matter of walking rather than driving, taking the stairs when you could take the elevator, and so on. Do it the hard way sometimes, because it will keep your muscles finely tuned.

There are tons of games now that encourage exercise. As I think I've touted before myself, I love Just Dance 2. It makes it feel like you're dancing rather than exercising, which is lots of fun. And when you have fun, again, it's easier to keep up your routine.

In fact, making exercise fun is the best way to make yourself do it. There are lots of ways you can do this, it just depends on what you think is fun. You might think rollerblading or bike riding is fun, or you might think listening to music while you workout is fun. Either way, find your fun factor and make it yours.

Making the commitment to exercise, get fit, eat right, and lose weight is one of the hardest things ever. Keeping up the routines and the diet plans and the exercise regimens can, at times, seem almost impossible. How do you keep yourself motivated and determined?

Top Photo Credit: N!els