The next time you start to slide with your exercise program, stop! On again off again exercise will never get you the results you want. Instead, use these six tips to stay on track and achieve and achieve your desired fitness goals:

1. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a workout. Life is full of challenges and unexpected obstacles. Setbacks happen. Don’t let a couple of missed workouts turn into two months of inactivity.

2. Take a break. A plateau, burnout or lack of motivation might be your body asking for a break. Take an occasional break from your regular exercise routine for a few days or so, keeping active with some low intensity activities like walking or riding a beach cruiser.

3. Write it down. Does it ever seem like you’re not getting anywhere? Monitor your program to adjust your regime as necessary. Writing it down also lets you measure the improvements you’ve made over time, which is good to review during times of waning motivation.

4. Treat yourself to technology. Tools like heart rate monitors and calorie trackers make exercise more fun and let you see instantly the results of your efforts.

5. Club it. If you like to bike, run, swim or dance, join a club. The social component makes it fun while the group can provide accountability and motivation to stay on track.

6. See the whole picture. Focus on all the benefits of exercise, like how a good workout makes you feel or the decrease in your cholesterol level. The more benefits you can identify the more motivated you are to exercise, even at times when you don’t feel like it.