Ugh! Exercise?! Who the heck actually wants to exercise? It makes you feel like you’re going to pass out. It makes you sweaty and smelly. And you never see any changes anyway. But, no matter how you feel about exercise, there’s no denying its benefits. From losing weight and cellulite reduction to lower blood pressure and less risk of heart disease, exercise is shown time and time again to deliver lots of healthy benefits. So how can you come to terms with your dislike for exercise in the face of how good it is for you? The answer is relatively simple. Approach exercise on your own terms. Here are a few suggestions on how to do that.

1. Focus on the Right Benefits for You

If you’re exercising just to lose weight, you’re setting yourself a lofty goal. Here’s why: exercise doesn’t shed pounds as efficiently as you think. For example, it would take you over two hours of brisk walking to walk off the calories you put on from just one Big Mac.

Even if weight loss is your ultimate goal, start using other benefits as markers of success. Exercise helps to improve many areas of your appearance and wellbeing, including better looking skin, improved posture, lower stress and higher self-esteem. Think about how good you’d feel about yourself if you actually were able to get into a regular exercise program, even if you saw no physical results.

2. Set Your Own Achievable Goals

If you set out to lose 50 pounds, your chances of failure will be higher. Instead, start your program with the goal finding something you are comfortable doing on a regular basis. Even if it’s only walking to the corner and back, if it adds more regular activity to your day, then it’s a good goal to achieve – and doing so will help you move onto higher goals.

3. Try it Eight Times

If you have never jogged, even running a short distance can make you say ‘never again!’ But if you think about it, you rarely like anything that’s different from your usual habits the first time you try it. Before you begin any extra regular activity, tell yourself you will try it at least eight times before you give up on it entirely.

If there is a single way to get more exercise into your life, it is to find something, anything, that works for you. Instead of trying to reach all the goals you read about in the magazines and on the web, start to write your own book on healthier living.