IT'S easy to make plans to exercise.

It's the follow-through that sometimes gets people caught up.

That's where motivation comes in.

It gives purpose and direction to your behaviour, providing the internal push you need to overcome excuses and get started. Unfortunately, sometimes it deserts you right when you need it most.

Many of us believe motivation will come to us if we wait long enough.

Someday, we'll wake up and finally want to exercise.

The reality is that motivation is something we can and need to create for ourselves.

Use the following elements to create your own motivation and you'll find it easier to stick with your workouts.

Then, you'll start seeing the results of your efforts, which may help fuel your will to keep going.

Goal setting:

Have a clear goal set that you want to achieve, like I want to lose 14 pounds in six weeks, or I want to run a 10k under one hour.

If you outline from the beginning what you want to achieve, you have the blueprint to achieve this.

Set yourself daily and weekly goals, and aim to achieve these no matter what the outcome is.

How to prepare:

Once you've decided to exercise, make it as easy as possible to follow through.

That means having what you need and getting it all ready in advance.

For example, pack your fitness bag the night before, prepare any pre-workout meals or snacks so you can grab them and go like a protein shake or carb replacement drink, and plan what workout you'll do on a given day.

This should have been done in your goal setting.

Discipline:

You need to have a set discipline for yourself so you can stick to your plan. Try and plan a regular routine and time frame that fits in with your busy work-family life.

Ensure that your fitness and nutrition regime is planned in advance.

It doesn’t matter if it is replicated daily as long as you are sticking to a regime.

Commitment:

Being healthy isn't a decision you make once - it's one you make every day.

Recommitting to your goals keeps you on track.

Spend a few minutes each morning thinking or writing about what you want to accomplish that day and how you'll do it.

Remind yourself of your goals and take some time to appreciate how far you've come in reaching them.

Tracking your progress by using certain apps or in a diary helps you monitor your progression. I would advise for nutrition Myfitnesspal. This app tracks everything that you consume on a daily basis and works out for you how many calories you should be consuming daily and what macronutrients you should be aiming to have, and for fitness use a qualified trainer to give you a detailed plan.

Fun:

Exercise should be a hobby that you enjoy doing, something that you look forward to and its part of your daily-weekly routine. Fun doesn’t have to be gym-based - it can be sport, using the great outdoors or even walking.

You can even have fun with your family. Kick a ball around the garden, or include racket sports - as long as you are moving and elevating the heart rate.

Rewards:

Once you have reached a certain goal, reward yourself, have a treat or buy yourself a new pair of trainers.

Keep the motivation and desire there so you can kick on and progress to the next level.