I’ve been an athlete all my life, but like most people over 40, things in my body have shifted at various points. My metabolism has slowed down, I have gained body fat, my workouts feel harder and more sporadic and of course I have less time. Just recently, I started a new workout program. But I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to stay the course. So I dusted off a few rules from my old playbook that I’ve tacked on my wall as reminders for when the going gets tough.

No matter what fitness regime your are following here are 10 tips I have learned about sticking to any program:

1. Just Show up. Getting to the gym or exercise class or your practice session is 90% of your success, as long as you are there 4 -5 days a week you might as well do something.

2. Its all about Attitude. Be positive, be a force of change, feel that you can make a difference, in how you look and feel – don’t complain, don’t be negative. Good things are attracted to people with good energy and good emotions. This is a powerful force, use it well.

3. Join a Team or Group – Find ways to play. Pick something you enjoy. Do anything you can to get body moving. If you need to chase a ball, then play a sport. Join a few friends at work and power walk instead of going out to lunch. Joining a team gives you a reason other then yourself to be somewhere and to participate, most people will let themselves down but not usually their running or workout partners.

4. Make a Plan, & Then Be Organized – Have a fitness and an eating plan, write it down and follow it. I work out 3 days a week doing aerobics and 3 days a week with weights and I also write down what my meals are for the week and make sure I have the foods I need. Have a good plan and then follow it.

5. Create Goals and use a visual imagery board. Use real images for what you want to look like again, it may be an photo from the past, when you were a size 2, that you can put up an your Goals Board and say this is what I’m going to look like again. Look at that photo each time you think you don’t want to go to the gym or you need to have that bowl of ice cream.

6. Find a workout Partner. Work with Others. "Because life is not a do it yourself project"

7. Rest. Take one day off a week, if you need it or not. Don’t be too strict on yourself. Do Nothing - Think Smart. Do something different on your “free day”. Be adventurous.

8. Don't Stop - Keep Moving. Always keep moving. Even when its tough, keep committed, be unstoppable. Keep on your plan. Keep your commitment to yourself first.

9. It’s Hard Work, so don’t believe anybody’s hype that you can work out for 10 minutes a day and lose 20 pounds in a week. None of the hype is true. What is true is that doing something a little bit everyday gets you to where you need to be going. Be patient, good things take time. - Don't wait for something to happen. Get into the action. Be proactive.

10. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You are only human, so if you binge on chocolate for 3 days and feel too sick to workout, don’t just quit everything, just chock it up to a weak moment and get right back in the saddle and on your program and pick up where you left off. A trainer once told me that doing something everyday for 3 weeks makes into a habit, and habits can be a good thing….so Don’t give up, make it so failure is not an option.