Most committed exercisers do it every day before the sun rised or late at night when the kids are in bed. Sit down with your weekly schedule and try to build in an hour each day to be good to your body.

If you convince yourself you’ll fit in a workout some time after that last meeting, once the kids go down for a nap or when your spouse arrives home on time, failure is certain. Chances are a last-minute invitation will come along; or the kids won’t nap. Write your workout on your calendar and rearrange things around this one hour as if it were any other important appointment you have to keep.

By nature, humans need change and variety to stay motivated . We also need to have fun — even while we’re working hard. Do both!

Listen to your inner voice when choosing the best workout for you, says Fowler.

Workout variety also challenges your body in unique ways, which may introduce you to new muscle groups you didn’t even know you had. Consider disciplines that give you more bang for your buck, suggests Haberstro. Ta’i chi and yoga, for example, serve dual purposes as mental therapy and physical activity. Or try a workout DVD to help you shake up your routine.

In America, some tend to have trouble asking for help, says Bowling. Yet in order to stick to a fitness program, we need buy-in and encouragement from other people.

“Exercising is built into our family life," Bowling adds. “We view it as a necessity. Sometimes it takes the place of watching TV together.”

Consider joining a online community with fitness trainers and nutrition experts — and support from other people trying to maintain healthy eating and exercise routines. People who get this kind of online support are proven to lose up to three times more weight than people going it alone.