What's Your Fitness Personality?

Do you have more trouble choosing a workout program or starting the one you just bought? Are you an early morning exerciser or do you Push Play whenever you can grab a few minutes of uninterrupted time? See which of the six fitness personality types best describes you then find out what you can do to ensure you get your best results.

The Program Collector

You saw a Slim in 6^® infomercial and eagerly ordered the product only to stick it on a shelf unopened once you got it. Same with Power 90^®. Ditto Turbo Jam^®. Your intentions were good at the time, but now you studiously avoid even looking at the DVD covers, let alone taking the discs out. It's a lot easier to keep watching TV and let time go drifting by.

Most common fitness lament: "I just don't feel like it."

Pitfall: No motivation. Or is it intimidation? Fear? You've never exercised regularly or you're so out of practice, you're overwhelmed by the amount of work you think it will take. You may not have much confidence in your ability to pull it off.

Start with . . . Taking it one day at a time. Break down your overall goal of losing 35, 50, or 100 pounds into smaller, more easily attainable goals; work out for 10 minutes a day, then 15, 20, or whatever you can manage. Start slow and gradually build up to getting through a whole workout. It may take a couple of weeks. You're not in this alone.

The Constant Staller

You can't piece together a regular exercise schedule no matter how hard you try. You're forever starting and restarting programs, but the chaos of daily life inevitably intervenes and knocks you off track. It seems like every day someone's birthday celebration, a special event, a personal or work obligation, or a family emergency derails your most sincere fitness intentions. You're constantly postponing or rescheduling workouts, which means you're rarely ever working out at all.

Most common fitness lament: "I just don't have time!"

Pitfall: Distractions. You haven't made fitness a priority in your life, so anything and everything takes precedence over your workout.

Start with . . . Easing into a regular workout schedule. Early mornings might make the most sense for you, since once the day starts unfolding, your chances of escaping the rising momentum of responsibilities are nil. Getting your exercise out of the way first thing means you don't have to suffer the self-loathing a missed workout usually entails. You can sail through the rest of the day guilt free. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to radically change your daily routine immediately, though. Start with just two or three workouts a week, and then add more as you get used to waking up early to exercise. Once you notice how much more energized you feel on those days, you'll be on your way to a regular workout schedule.

The Valiant Struggler

You exercise four to six times a week, but hardly ever at the same time of day. You grab 20 minutes here, 40 minutes there, fitting in a workout whenever you can. Or maybe you've got a regular workout time, but your fitness "regimen" is all over the place—no rhyme or reason to why you choose a sculpting or cardio routine. You do whatever workout fits your time frame or suits your daily mood—or spills out of the DVD cabinet.

Most common fitness lament: "I'm not seeing results!"

Pitfall: No game plan. Or no intensity.

Start with . . . A specific goal. Do you want to lose a certain number of pounds? Get your waist down to a certain number of inches? Fit into a specific dress or suit size? To sneak a little order into your routine while preserving your need for flexibility, try programs like Power Half Hour^®, Slim Series^®, and Fast 10^®they all provide different kinds of workouts you can customize to your needs, as well as recommended weekly plans, allowing you to add more cardio or targeted sculpting workouts depending on your goal. To ramp up the intensity, you can try working out with a progress tool like a heart rate monitor. Read Steve Edwards' article on how to use one.

The Intellectual Benchwarmer

You know all about the benefits of exercise and the hazards of obesity. You read fitness columns every day, subscribe to health magazines, and may even spend hours online chatting with other like-minded folks, soliciting advice and tips about fitness and nutrition. You spend so much time thinking or reading about working out that you hardly have the time or desire to actually do it.

Most common fitness lament: "I need more information!" or "I don't know how to do it right!"

Pitfall: You think too much.

Start with . . . Just doing it, to paraphrase the Nike slogan. Stop worrying and studying and start Pushing Play. Because intellectualizing exercise is your forte, it'll probably be easy for you to maintain an exercise journal. Try to keep it simple and use it as a tool to track your progress over time. Make sure you give yourself a chance to experience the process before you rush to analyze every ache and pain and then talk yourself out of doing your program every day. It's great to be interested in fitness and be aware of all its benefits so long as you get away from your computer or put down the magazines long enough to actually work up a good sweat.

The Socializer

Besides Pushing Play, you're chatting with a program trainer a few times a week and setting up workout times with your WOWY Buddies. You may be a My Beachbody Coach or a regular at Tony Horton's Fitness Camps. You share advice and maintain connections on the Message Boards. You post your progress photos every few weeks and have a solid support network. After all, it's easier to stay committed if you're accountable to people. And it's worth even more if your experience can make a positive difference in someone's life.

Most common fitness lament: "My Internet connection is too slow!"

Pitfall: There really isn't a downside to this one unless your fitness routine is solely dependent on others.

Start with . . . Making sure you're self-accountable. It's wonderful that you're sharing your fitness success or offering support to others we wish there were lots more like you! You probably have what it takes to motivate yourself and Keep Pushing Play, but just in case you found yourself stranded somewhere indefinitely without an Internet connection . . . you'd know what to do, right?

The Autopilot

You've established the habit of exercising almost every day, at the same time each day. You follow workout programs to a T. Exercise is a priority and you schedule your day around it. You're self-motivated and you manage your time extremely well.

Most common fitness lament: "I'm bored," or "I'm not seeing results anymore."

Pitfall: Plateaus or even injuries. Working out the same muscle groups week after week in the same way may create imbalances or weaknesses in opposing muscle groups that could lead to injuries.

Start with . . . Mixing it up. When you get bored with the same old thing, or you're stuck at a certain weight, or you stop seeing results, you know it's time to make some changes, either in your workout intensity, your diet, or both. Check out Steve Edwards' "How Often Should You Change Your Workout?" Try incorporating new fitness gear into your usual routine a balance ball, toning band, heart rate monitor, weights, weighted gloves or else change fitness programs altogether. Switch to a more advanced workout series, try a different trainer, or alternate workouts from different programs. Or turn to others who've been through the same thing to infuse you with inspiration or jump-start your motivation.