Five tips to love exercise

Despite all of the benefits from regular exercise — increased energy, reduced risk of heart disease and stroke, and looking and feeling better — eight out of 10 Americans don’t make it a habit.

So, how can you make it more enticing? By incorporating the following tips to fit exercise into your life, you may actually learn to like it:

1. Find an activity that suits you — If you are a social person, you may do better to join an exercise class, or join a kickball team, or walk with a group of friends. If you’re more of an introvert, walking or jogging solo might be a better fit.
   
   
2. Make it a habit — Create a routine by exercising around the same time each day. Exercise can become addictive in a positive way.
   
   
3. Build exercise into your lifestyle — There are many ways to build exercise into your life, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. If you don’t live close to a gym or don’t have the money to join, there are other ways to fit exercise in. For example, you can borrow exercise videos from your local library. Do weight or resistance training with your own body weight or with items at home (like using canned goods as weights). Walking is a great option, either outside or at a local mall. The only investments required: a good pair of sneakers and a positive attitude!
   
   
4. Break it up — It’s OK to break up your exercise into smaller increments. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of exercise a day, but if that sounds overwhelming, try three 10-minute workout sessions. For example, some quick calisthenics in the morning, a brief walk at lunch and a quick DVD or walk after work or dinner.
   
   
5. Keep going — if you miss a day or a workout, don’t beat yourself up. Everyone struggles. Just get right back at it. Don’t wait too long, or you may get out of your routine.