It’s sometimes difficult staying motivated to working out while bringing up children, taking care of your house and maybe working.

The hard part is fitting the all important matter of your health and fitness in and then the small matter of getting started and sticking with it.

Here are 10 useful tips to assist you with staying motivated:

1. Write down what you want to achieve: Set a goal and be realistic when writing your goals. Create yourself some short-term goals and long-term goals. Firstly, focus on the short-term goals so you do not get discouraged.

2. Schedule it into your day: Try to workout first thing in the morning so you are fresh and not tired from your day. Working out gives you more energy and working out first thing in the morning means you will feel fantastic all day and burn more calories as your metabolism will be raised. I sit my 3 year old daughter down to her breakfast and have a workout DVD on my laptop whilst she watches kids tv, does some drawing/painting or sometimes joins in!

3. Get yourself a Support System: Share your goals with your partner, friends, mother, other family member, your life coach or someone that you trust. It’s needs to be someone that will hold you accountable and help you stay on track. The fact that you’ve told them will hold you accountable and you’ll get encouragement and compliments as you progress with your goals.

4. Find a friend to workout with: ask friends if they want to join you on your quest. This helps keep you motivated. If you both struggle with getting to a gym, you could share the cost of a personal trainer and ask them to visit to your home while the children are playing safely nearby. You are more likely to be consistent if you have someone keeping you accountable. If you are going to the gym, have set days you go and stick to them. It will become part of your routine and it will be easier to go.

5. Keep a workout and food diary: Keep a record of your workouts, what you did and how felt, so you can feel satisfied when you look back to see how far you have come. At the same time keep a food journal, this will help you keep track of what you eat and eliminate those extra calories you consume!

6. Keep it varied: Try changing your exercise routine, try different activities to keep you from getting bored. You can look at including the kids – rounders in the park, long walks, bike rides, a canoeing trip, indoor climbing, go-karting, roller-skating, ice skating.. the list is endless. Be inventive but get as active as possible!

7. Treat Yourself: If you’re making progress reward yourself with a luxurious facial, a massage, a new piece of sportswear, subscribe to a fitness magazine, enjoy a trip to the cinema with your partner. A small reward to work towards will be a great incentive!

8. When you really don’t feel like it: When you just don’t feel like working out read a motivational story, listen to a motivational podcast (personally I subscribe to and really enjoy – Motivation to Move). If this doesn’t work make a list of why you should do it for yourself (look at your goals), make a list of exercise benefits, put on your workout clothes, and once they are on you might as well go for a walk or jog.

9. No more excuses, commit yourself today: Tell yourself you will do it and don’t let yourself down. The hard facts are that your health is the most important thing, before anything else and if your not healthy and well you’re just letting yourself down. Keeping active and being fit means you have an improved quality of life – being able to do things you enjoy for longer periods of time. For example, playing with the children, gardening, dancing, or walking.

Being fit has many short-term benefits, such as an improved sense of well-being, and long-term benefits, such as reducing the risk of suffering many debilitating diseases.

10. Think Positive: Create a list of positive quotes that inspire you to feel good (I’ve listed some great ones to start you off below) and when you are feeling demotivated get them out and read them over and over and watch what you say to yourself – negative self-talk just won’t help you! You are working towards a goal that you want, so look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you CAN DO IT!

Now, if you need more reasons to get started exercising regularly means the following:

You lose weight – obvious one but worth mentioning;

Your metabolism increases – you burn more calories;

You have increased self-esteem – you feel better about yourself;

You are going to be happier – exercise enhances your mood and relaxes your body;

You are feel more rested as your sleep quality improves;

Your immune system gets stronger – less cold, bugs and the like;

Your circulation is improves, as exercise improves body performance;

You eliminate toxins through the sweat glands;

Vastly improves your sex life – you have more energy and body confidence;

Your blood pressure and cholesterol;

Your lower the risk of stroke;

You strengthen your heart and lungs;

You reduce your risk of cancer;

If you are stressed it helps you control anxiety;

It provides you with a great outlet for aggression and tension;

It fills you with energy!