Most everyone has started a physical activity program or training program and then quit. It might have been a strength training program that left us so sore we could barely move for a week, or we upped our miles running or biking too quickly and got injured or just burnt out and lost interest.

Whether your goal is to lose weight, to become healthier, complete a big race or event or reach a personal best, consistency is the key to reaching your goals. Training is the process of systematically applying stress to the body to elicit a response. That response is greater fitness. Without consistent and systematic work, you won't get the desired results.

First, let’s talk about why daily exercise is important to lose weight. Daily exercise helps tilt the calories-in, calories-out equation in favor of weight loss. But that is only part of the story. The real story is how it affects your hormones. We’ll focus on insulin since it has the most effect on fat storage and weight loss.

When you exercise, you decrease your resistance to insulin. Insulin’s job is to remove excess glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream. Guess where it stores this excess glucose? Yeah, in fat cells in your body and usually around the belly. Some researchers believe that physical activity improves your insulin resistance and therefore helps you utilize glucose for fuel rather than storing it as fat for up to 16 hours.

If you are trying to become a faster runner, cyclist, swimmer, walker or hiker, you need to consistently practice your sport so that you achieve better technique and efficiency.

You also need to be consistent in order to improve your fitness level and get faster. If you are looking to gain strength or tone up, a sporadic exercise program won’t do the job. To get stronger, you need to be continuously increasing the amount of weight you lift and the number of repetitions and changing the exercises you do.

Here are some tips to prevent falling off your routine for more than a day or two:

» Always start exercising. I (Jen) use the 20-minute rule, but for people who usually exercise for less than an hour, the 5-minute rule will work. This means even if you don’t feel like exercising, start anyway. You’ll find you’ll probably complete your workout. It also is helpful to have quick workouts that you know you can do anywhere in 10 to 15 minutes.

» Find something you love. It could be walking, hiking, tennis, yoga or just doing burpees. What matters is that you are moving.

» Find a partner. You’ll probably find you go longer and harder when you work out with a partner. Plus, you don’t want to let that person down and not show up for a workout.

» Plan when you will work out. This means setting time aside on the calendar or making that date to work out with your partner.

Regular exercise is the only way to see improvements in your health and fitness. Get out there.