* First, pick the aerobic exercise that you enjoy the most.  Studies have shown that people who regularly exercise and who go back to exercising the quickest when circumstances have prevented it are people who enjoy exercising.

If you can’t think of an aerobic activity that you enjoy, don’t give up!  Just maximize your enjoyment of whichever activity you choose!

To maximize enjoyment:

- Exercise with a friend! 
Make it a social time as well as an exercise time.  (Your friend could be your dog!  Most dogs in the US need to lose weight and most of them love to go for walks.)

- Exercise to music! 
Music that you like and that is upbeat to keep you moving.

- Exercise with affirmations! 
Use the time to focus on the positive and build your self esteem.  Imagine that instead of walking (or running or whatever) you are balanced on this big blue marble that is our planet and it is turning under you.  And you getting closer to your goals with every step!

* Second, many people guarantee that they will fail at exercise by trying to do too much too soon. 

My patients sometimes laugh at me when I ask them to do five minutes of aerobic exercise a day for a week.  (These are often folks who have some kind of aerobic equipment sitting around their house, like an exercise bike, treadmill or stair stepper.)

However,  if you have not been doing any exercise at all, five minutes a day for a week is really good!  The following week increase it to 10 minutes a day, and so on.

If you think long enough, you will probably think of a time in your childhood when your parents yelled at you to sit down and stop running around the room.  Children naturally love exercise.  Get in touch with your Inner Child!  Reclaim the joy of movement!