Your Top 5 Exercise Excuses -- Busted!

5. "I Was a Total Beginner So I..."

Found Something Fun

"I couldn't stand going to the gym," says Gerri Bouse, 40, from Laguna Niguel, California, who found she could get motivated to work out only if she had a big event coming up, like her wedding three years ago. After getting tired of storing three sizes of clothing in her closet because she was caught up in the vicious cycle of gaining and losing weight, she tried a one-hour high-intensity cardio and sculpting class held in a nearby park. "I loved that it was both social and outdoors. Now I get a total-body workout, and I'm having a blast doing it."

Hired a Trainer

"Being financially accountable helps me stick with it, and I like having a relationship with someone who cares about my health and well-being," says Tracy Mendes, 37, a chief administrative officer for a house-painting contractor from Orange, California. If hiring a trainer is too big a strain on your wallet, try sharing her with one or two friends; this will cut down on your fees.

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, September 2006.