Initiating and maintaining a habitual exercise program is a process involving several stages: the decision to start exercising, the early stages of adoption, eventual change of behaviour, and then successful integration of these new behaviours into your lifestyle so that they are maintained over time.

Identify ways to stay motivated.

Make lists of motivating statements.
Periodically reviewing—and updating—what your motivations are.
Regularly chart your progress in achieving SMART goals.
Seeking out social support.

Behaviour change to kick start your health and fitness.

Turn your goals into SMART goals.

SMART goals are:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound

Accountability.

We all benefit from being accountable for our actions. Accountability is essential to weight loss and weight maintenance. Food journals and dietary tracking, exercise and sleep logs give clients real-time snapshots of their behaviors in action. These records provide an important daily frame of reference for decision-making, and allow clients to absorb the impact of the choices they’re making regarding diet and exercise.

Acknowledge relapses.

Relapses are common and part of the process of making real, enduring changes. Relapses can be discouraging, but they should not be viewed as signs of failure, but rather as short-term challenges that can be overcome. Helping yourself handle relapse often includes: