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If you’re new to regular exercise, one of the hardest hurdles you dace is making it a habit.

Long time exercisers can’t imagine NOT exercising. For them, it’s a habit that verges on addiction.

And in fact, there is an element of physiological addiction that one develops to exercise. You’ve probably heard it called the runner’s high –that great feeling you get when the exhilaration outweighs the discomfort and you feel like you could go on running forever.It results, at least in part, from compounds called endorphins that are produced by your body in response to exercise. Endorphins ease pain, and generally make you feel good. And they last for a while too after you stop exercising.

This positive physiological reinforcement will act in your favour once you get yourself exercising often enough and hard enough to achieve it.

So, how do you establish the habit? How do you make it a regular part of your life, not just an option?

Make it official: Decide that you want to start exercising to improve your health. The decision may be inspired by a doctor’s warning, a friend’s chiding, a bet, or that recurring desire to get back to your college weight. Make it an official decision. Write it down. Tell your friends, family and co-workers. Put a sign on the refrigerator.

Set a time: One of the biggest excuses is, "I don’t have enough time." Make sure this excuse will not work. Think about your day. What is the best time for you to fit in exercise? Before breakfast, at lunch break, after work, after the kids go to bed. Pick the time that you will exercise and tell your friends and family. Put it in your calendar. Also, select a back up time, just in case there’s an important meeting with your boss that you just can’t miss.

Involve other people: This can take many forms. You might get some friends to join you in your mission. You can keep each other on track. You can also exercise together when it’s convenient. You may decide to work with a personal trainer at a health club. You might involve your whole family. Kids can be a great motivator. Create a family exercise chart for the fridge door.

Start an exercise journal: Record all your workouts. Use a calendar format so that it will be obvious when you skip a day. (It’s good to take a day or two off per week, but no more than that if fitness and weight control are your goals.)

Reward yourself: Promise yourself to stick with it for at least a month. Then take yourself and your fiends out for a healthy dinner and evaluate your progress. Are you feeling better? Healthier? Trimmer? I’m guessing the answers will be "yes."

Recommit: Set another dinner date in two months and get back to your habit.