Beginning an exercise program is not without challenges, but as your fitness improves and you find activities you like, it becomes a natural part of your lifestyle. If you struggle to find enjoyment in being active, make it easier with these tips.

Exercise with a friend.

Exercise partners keep you accountable and make activity more enjoyable. A good workout partner offers encouragement and may even provide some friendly competition to keep you motivated. When you look forward to the time you spend with another person during your workout, you will have no problem staying committed and sticking to your program.

Do something new.

Train your mind as often as you train your body. Trying different activities means that you are always learning to do something new. When you focus on increasing your knowledge, it often takes your mind off the fact that you are also getting exercise. Take a new dance class, try a watersport, or take tennis lessons. In time you may not view these commitments as exercise, but as a fun and social part of daily life, which makes staying active much easier.

Take a rest day.

If you are having trouble dragging yourself to the gym or waking up early to run, these may be signs that you are burned out. Not only do rest days refresh you mentally, they are necessary for your body to repair itself and grow stronger. Evaluate your schedule and ensure you have at least one day a week set aside to rest. Consider adding a second rest day for a while. A few days of exercise a week is better than getting burned out and not exercising at all. Incorporating rest days keeps you from feeling like exercise is a chore that never ends. After some rest, you will soon feel the desire to get moving again.

Try circuit training.

Long sessions on the stationary bike or elliptical machine can feel endless. Ditch the boredom by mixing up your workout. Design your own circuit training routine and get both cardio and strength training done in one challenging session. Simply alternate between cardio and strength performing each from 60 seconds to 3 minutes. For example, hop on the bike and pedal at a fast pace for 90 seconds.Then do the leg press for 90 seconds, followed by another segment of cardio. If you don’t have machines, there are plenty of moves to incorporate, such as jumping jacks and lunges. You will be so busy pushing yourself through each move and watching the clock to signal an exercise switch that your workout will fly by.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.