4. Break Up Your Workout Into Shorter Spurts

Are you skipping your workout because you don’t have time for the full routine? Break up your physical activity into a few shorter 10-minute spurts throughout the day. “Taking shorter walks throughout the day, as opposed to one longer walk that takes 30 minutes to an hour, has been shown to have very similar benefits,” says Harris.

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5. Set Mini-Goals

Many people set huge outcome-oriented goals, such as losing 20 pounds, getting six-pack abs, or running a marathon. While these can be motivating, they don’t tell you what you need to do right now, and in the days and weeks to come, to accomplish them. To stay motivated, ensure you don’t get bored, and keep progressing at a steady rate, setting smaller “process goals” can help.

“If an outcome goal is the top step of a staircase, process goals are like the individual steps you’d take to get there,” says Harris.

Try increasing the length of your run by a half mile every week or increasing the duration of your plank by 15 seconds every three days. If you’re unsure how to safely increase the intensity of your exercise and set realistic process goals, consider enlisting the help of a certified personal trainer.

The feeling that you’ve accomplished something each week (in addition to over a longer period of time) can help motivate you to make each and every workout along the way count.

6. Work Out in the Morning and Get It Out of the Way

Some people find it easier to stick to their workout plans if they do it in the morning, getting it out of the way before an excuse comes up to skip it, says Harris. By the end of the day, you’re often really tired, random things have come up, and there’s always something else to do instead of exercise.

More benefits of a.m. exercise: Morning workouts have been shown to lower blood pressure among older adults and people who are overweight or obese.

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 Plus, people often feel more energized throughout the day after exercising, Harris says. And that means an early-in-the-day workout could help you tackle your responsibilities (like work or chores) with greater ease, he adds.

Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to exercise. So if morning workouts feel like torture, try a few different times of day and see what works best for your body.

7. Always Carry Workout Clothes

Even the smallest obstacles, like having to go home after work to change into workout clothes before heading to the gym, can mean the difference between working out and skipping it. The simple but incredibly helpful solution: Bring your workout clothes to work for evening workouts (or work from your home office in workout gear), suggests Harris. If you work out in the morning, consider sleeping in your workout clothes (only if they’re comfortable, of course).

8. Have a ‘Plan B’ Workout

So it’s pouring outside and you can’t go on your usual morning run around the neighborhood. What now? You could skip your workout, but that might make you lose all that great exercise momentum and motivation you had going. Make a contingency plan or two, says Harris.

If you usually exercise outdoors, find a backup workout or class you can do at the gym or at home (indoors) in case of inclement weather; and for moments when you’re just feeling tired and don’t want to leave the house, or if you’re traveling with no access to a gym, put together a “bare minimum” workout with a few simple moves such as squats and planks that you can do anywhere. You can also find myriad online workouts either live or on-demand.

9. Play Some Music to Keep Your Energy Up

Pumping some tunes could be just what you need to literally go the extra mile. Research has found that playing music while exercising increases the duration of workouts for both men and women without a perceived increase in effort.

While any type of music is beneficial, some research suggests that music a faster beat — meaning more beats per minute — may help you pick up the pace during your workouts.

If you’re the type of exerciser who finds monotonous cardio (like running or walking) uninspiring, try listening to an episode of your favorite podcast, or even an audiobook, which can be a great way to make your exercise feel like more of a self-care ritual. You may find yourself looking forward to that time you get to lose yourself in your book or series.