'Tis the season when we resolve to get back to exercising regularly. Here's expert advice on simple strategies to help you keep that promise.

1. Take stock.
Ask yourself some basic questions: What has stopped you from exercising in the past? Are you ready to re-commit yourself to exercising regularly? Is now the best time in your life to make this change? (If you're moving into a new house, for example, you may want to wait a few weeks.) Be honest. "Facing the truth--removing the smoke and mirrors and facing what's really happening--is the first step to making positive change," says psychologist James Loehr, Ed.D., of Orlando, Florida, who helps Olympic and professional athletes develop mental toughness. You won't be successful unless you have a clear understanding of your reality, he says.

2. Set goals.
To get back into exercise, make small, barely noticeable changes to your routine, says Peg Jordan, R.N., of Oakland, California, author of The Fitness Instinct (Rodale, 1999). For example, "substitute one coffee break for a 10-minute run up and down stairs, or a brisk walk around the block," she says.

"Baby steps are the way to go--they're better than giant steps," says Dr. Amy Roberts, director of sports science for Asimba.com, a Redwood City, California-based fitness internet site. That doesn't mean you can't aspire for something big, like running a marathon next fall. "But break that goal down to shorter term goals," says James J. Annesi, Ph.D., fitness researcher. Lengthen your daily walk by ten minutes a day. Add one more walk-per-week each month. Plan to enter a five-kilometer charity race in three months. It may help to keep a journal so you can see your progress. Meeting small goals can boost your energy and your self-esteem, keeping you motivated, Annesi says.

3. Get support.
"Enlist your friends," says personal trainer Enid Fox, of Courtside Club in Los Gatos, Calif., whose website, Secondwindfitness.com, offers support on-line. You can help keep each other motivated. Schedule regular times for weekly jogs or bike rides, or join a yoga class together. When someone is relying on your to be there, it helps solidify your commitment to yourself, and to a friend. "Studies have shown that when people come together around a unified task--like exercise--adherence increases," says Annesi, "That focus is the important aspect in developing camaraderie which raises the degree of maintenance to a program."

"The buddy system works," says Fox, "Ninety percent of people trying to exercise need the extra motivation and friends can supply the support to keep going." Consider finding a personal trainer at a local gym. A trainer can teach you the proper way to use exercise equipment and help to avoid injury. And for some people, the act of spending money on a personal trainer helps them stick with it. For added motivation, and to share the costs, ask friends to hire the personal trainer with you.

4. Lay the groundwork.
Do little things for yourself so it's easy to exercise. Annesi refers to this simple technique as "stimulus control"--facilitating your fitness program by substituting positive actions, or "prompts" for counter-productive ones. If you plan to jog when you get home from work, lay your exercise clothes out in the morning, he says. If you know you'll be tempted to flip on the television, unplug it--don't come home and put your feet up. Keep your water bottle ready by the door. "Eliminate the barriers to exercise so the positive behavior can lock into habit," Annesi says.

5. Establish a routine.
Find the best way to fit fitness into your life easily and conveniently. "The key is getting change to occur quickly, so you're on automatic pilot," says Dr. Loehr, "Disciplined people really just have positive rituals." So exercise at the same time each day, pack a healthy lunch, schedule meditation or yoga into your day so it becomes a habit, which can take three weeks to three months to establish according to Dr. Loehr.

"Committing to doing things everyday that are good for your body, mind and ultimately, your soul, are part of establishing a healthy daily routine," says Dr. Craig Liden, who practices developmental and behavior medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That routine includes nutrition, physical activity, a focused "mind-centering" activity, like yoga or prayer, and sleep, he says.

Sticking with a program for six months seems to be the magic number. The 50% dropout rate for exercise programs decreases to only 10% after six months, according to Dr. Annesi. "After that, the exercise habit is self-perpetuating," he says.

6. Find an activity that suits you.
Exercise can be drudgery for adults because we've lost the natural desire to move that we had as children, Jordan says. (If you need a reminder, "just follow a two-year-old around for an hour," she says.) Figure out what you love to do and what feels good to you--whether it's dancing, gardening, walking, or yoga. If you determine what Jordan calls your "fitness personality," exercise ceases to be a "must do" and becomes an intuitive preference.

7. Take time for rest.
Ease back into a fitness routine. Fight the urge to jump back in at full-speed, risking muscle soreness and injury. Establish rest days, when you don't exercise, and get plenty of sleep, particularly when you first start your routine.

"We usually don't think about recovery," Loehr says. "We think it's for wimps." But it can be just as important as your workout. It can prevent injuries and actually makes you stronger."Sleep, exercise, nutrition and hydration all improve your fitness level. The fitter you are, the faster you can recover," he says.

8. Eat for energy.
Choose foods that will give you the energy to maintain your fitness routine. Here are some rules of thumb:
"Start the day out on the right foot, with breakfast--and exercise if possible--don't skip breakfast for a donut at the office," says Dr. Roberts. She advises avoiding the "quick fix" of a snack bar and manufactured foods, opting for "real foods" like oatmeal or an apple, that are more gratifying and satisfying. Emphasize complex carbohydrates like whole grains, she says. "Protein is not bad, but it's not a good substitute for carbohydrates, the body's gasoline," she says. Carbohydrates are particularly important before you exercise as fuel, and after you exercise for recovery.

"Don't skip meals," Dr. Roberts says. "It's better to eat five small meals during the day so your body can use the fuel, rather than have larger meals when you tend to overeat." And her cardinal rule is drink 8 to 12 glasses of water per day to stay hydrated.

Be sure to give yourself the occasional treat, says Sheila Cluff of Ojai, California, fitness instructor and owner of two California spas. "Eat well 80 percent of the time and blow it 20 percent of the time so you never feel deprived. I'd kill if someone told me I couldn't have a piece of cheesecake!"

9.Be flexible.
If you planned to go roller blading but it's raining--don't throw in the towel! Try Plan B. Go to the mall and walk a few laps, or follow a yoga or exercise class on video. You can always substitute some physical activities around the home, like gardening, washing the car, raking leaves, or shoveling snow, for an actual exercise session. You'll be moving, burning calories and feel a sense of accomplishment as well.

No time for an hour or half-hour walk? Take a ten-minute exercise break--research shows you don't have to do it all at once says Jordan. Ten minutes of movement three times a day adds up. And if you're feeling too tired for your regular exercise activity, a brisk walk or 20 minutes of yoga can give you more energy than a nap, and the movement may provide the "jump start" that your body is craving.

10.Keep a positive attitude.
"Energy and positive attitude go hand-in-hand," says Cluff, who uses the energy she gets from fitness to tackle business issues, solve problems, deal with stress, and appreciate the good in her life. "Fitness helps raise your level of self esteem. When you like the way you feel and look, it gives you energy--like when you're dressed up for a big party!" she says.

And if you "cheat" or have a candy bar, don't use it as an excuse to abandon your whole fitness program. One step backwards isn't falling down--just pick up where you left off and take your "slip" in stride the next day.

Make a note about how good you feel after exercising or take a picture of yourself when you're feeling fit, and keep it on your refrigerator as a reminder. Use your positive mindset to counteract any negatives that could be barriers to your schedule or plans.

Remember that exercise is movement towards a positive end--it improves your appearance, changes your perspective, gets you involved in new activities and people, and is an outlet for stress. Fitness is a "philosophy of spirit" says Jordan, use it to enhance your life!