I know how hard it is to balance business and family life as well as find the energy and time to eat right, get enough sleep and exercise, as we should.

I’m here to tell you it is not as hard as you think. If you keep some simple rules in mind, daily exercise can be an incredibly rewarding experience.

Set short- and long-term goals, make sure they are achievable, start small and move up. You always get motivated when you accomplish something. Move every day for 30 minutes, even if it is just walking up and down your stairs at home consistently for those 30 minutes. Repeated behaviors become habits, and everyone can find 30 minutes in a day to create a positive habit.

Put variety into your workouts – buy a new workout tape, bike instead of walk, join a community exercise class, alternate between resistance and cardio training, or hire a personal trainer to spice up your home workouts.

Book yourself an appointment to work out and keep it – book your day around it. Be honest with yourself and book a good time that works for you. For example, if you know you are always tired at the end of the day, don’t schedule your workout at that time. Use your lunch hour or wake up 30 minutes earlier to get your exercise in every day.

Stretch often. Stretching helps improve flexibility, circulation and muscle repair, which are important for overall fitness.

Monitor your progress on paper – it’s a great way to motivate yourself. It gives you a fast visual record of the results you are getting, which helps keep you on track. You will not only find that you have more energy, you will also accomplish more with your day and feel fantastic doing it. So go on, set yourself a goal, write it down, look at it often and just do it.

E-mail me with your questions at [email protected].