Why do so many people quit exercising?

The non-physical issues with being successful in making exercise habitual are usually not understood.  There are three main areas to consider when deciding on starting an exercise program: physical, psychological and logistical.

Physical:  Most have an idea of how they want to exercise and know their general health and fitness level.  However, knowing that exercise is needed and suddenly starting to exercise without planning for the below areas usually results in disappointment.

 Psychological:  Issues such as figuring out your real motivation for exercising, the willpower and discipline to exercise and goal setting.  A common reason many start exercising is to lose weight.  That itself is not motivation enough.  Why you want to lose weight is what needs to be addressed.  Depending on why, different approaches to an exercise program will be needed and the more efficient your exercise.  The amount of willpower, discipline and how good you are at following through with set goals is usually easier to determine about oneself.  Figuring out weaknesses in these areas and then taking the steps to overcome them is the next challenge.  Support from family, friends, individual coaching can all help.

Logistical: Where are you going to exercise, what equipment do you need but most of all when are you going to exercise.  Sometimes the fitness goals require more exercise time than scheduled or perhaps your fitness goal will be reached but it takes ten times longer than anticipated.  Time must be made to exercise just as time is made for everything else…work, kids, meals, sleep, chores, vacations, etc.  Don’t spend until your goals, type of exercise and workout program/schedule is determined.