Obstacle: When you've been in the business as long as I have, you see lots of fitness trends come and go. For example, there was a time when step aerobics filled class schedules. Today yoga -- from Bikram or "hot" yoga to hip-hop style -- has taken over the class list. How will we be moving our bodies 10 years from now? Thinking about the prospects always excites me. Still, one thing remains the same. It's all too easy to create reasons not to exercise when you're turned off or bored by your workout.

Overcome it: Here's something I'm sure you haven't seen on any class schedule. Think of exercise in the categories of Fun, Functional and Formal. For instance, dancing and tennis are fun, gardening and housework are functional, and a jog or weight workout is formal. Each is an acceptable form of exercise, but you need a mixture of all three to really be effective.

So get out your notebook and draw three columns, titling them Fun, Functional and Formal. Beneath each heading, write as many of those activities as you can think of, but only if you really see yourself doing them. Consider Formal exercise the foundation of your fitness program, because that's likely where you'll get your strength training or aerobic exercise. But work in the fun and functional each week to stay motivated and ensure good use of a variety of muscle groups.

More Tips:

• Exercise on your terms. Don't do what you think you're supposed to do if it's not a natural fit. The real goal is for daily exercise to be as ordinary as brushing your teeth. That's easier when you're drawn to it.
  
  
• Have you hit a plateau? If you find that your body has stopped progressing with your regular workout, you may need to increase your level of activity, or switch to another form of exercise that uses different muscle groups. Learn more about breaking workout plateaus.
  
  
• People tend to shun things that are repetitive, and groan at predictability. So, why should exercise be repetitive or predictable? If you get tired of your workouts, try something new!