It's one thing to tell people to plan their workout and their exercise programs. It's another thing to know how to do it. I know this is one of the most common questions I get - how do I make a plan that will work? How do you fit the schedule in with everything else that's going on? Let's talk about that so we can learn to plan like a pro.

How To Do It

Start by making a list of all the things you have to do. Put these things into three categories. The first category is all the things you have to do (it should include things like taking the kids to school, grocery shopping, going to work, after school activities). The second category should be things you want to do, but don't necessarily need to do (catching your favorite television program, going to a movie, having a lunch date with the girls at the office) and the third part is the things you want to do (a hiking vacation, a trip to the mall, getting your nails done).

Once you have all of these events, sit down with a calendar and fill in your schedule. Be sure to include the rest of the family's activities and responsibilities. Once you have it all out on paper, look for empty slots, times that you do not have booked for something. Once you have all of these events, sit down with a calendar and fill in your schedule. Be sure to include the rest of the family's activities and responsibilities. Once you have it all out on paper, look for empty slots, times that you do not have booked for something. These are places where you can make exercise happen.

You can be very effective in your workout program if you are doing two sets of 15 minute workouts or 3 sets of 10 during any given day. Sometimes it can be hard to find 30 to 45 minutes to work out, but we can all find 10 minutes.

Now, once you have the times booked out. Plan what you need to have. For example, I always keep a pair of walking shoes in my car. Whether I am in an office, teaching at school or running errands, I have the walking shoes with me to do the workout I need or want to do. When I had access to a gym on a regular basis, I used to keep a fresh set of workout clothes in a duffle in my trunk. That way if I had time to swing by the gym, I always had my clothes with me.

Be Creative

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My daughter takes two dance classes a week and that's 45 minutes of just sitting there time unless I am creative with it. Most times I read my text books, my current book or work on my laptop. But when the weather is great, I throw on my shoes and start walking. What ways can you incorporate exercise into your day?

I went to the doctor a couple of days ago because I wasn't feeling great, I'd had a persistent cough I couldn't get rid of and it was really messing with my workout and my plans. I was frustrated; I've had enough with the health problems this year beginning with my husband's emergency surgery last December to my surgery in February to the most recent escapade getting my wisdom teeth taken out. So when I discovered that I had walking pneumonia - well let's just say my attitude was less than thrilled. I mean seriously, who did I annoy?

Motivation Trees

That being said, it's really difficult to get motivated when you are constantly tripping over stumbling blocks along the way. In fact, it can be downright discouraging. The best way to cope with this kind of disappointment and struggle, in my opinion, is to tackle your motivation head on. A motivation tree lets you free think your way to the motivation that will work for you.

How do you do this?

Start by getting a piece of paper and a pen. Go ahead, I'm right here and I'll wait for you to get it. Got it? Good. Now, write your name in the center of the paper and put a little circle around it. From that circle draw a line and write the first thing that comes to mind with regard to your fitness. You might write:

• Need to lose weight
• Need to build endurance
• Not happy with it
• What fitness?
• Exercise, blegh
• Love it, can't live without it

Now, circle that phrase or word. Once you've done that, go off to another corner and write where you'd like your fitness to be. Whether it's top conditioned, athletic or just in enough shape to keep up with the kids. I once wrote a dress size there. You want to put a box around that.

Now, between where you are and where that box is, you have several paths you can take. Brainstorm away and write down all the things you can think of that would work for you. You might write personal trainer. You might write gym membership or partner. You might write down this blog. Whatever it is you can think of, write it down. Circle all the ones that are doable. Put a triangle around the ones that you'd like but are impossible and put a square around those that you could do if you make the time.

Some things will have squares and circles or squares and triangles. That's okay. Now, plot a course between your name, your first circle and that initial square you made by drawing a line from each through all the other squares on the page.

Now you have a plan - and once you see it on paper, you'll be amazed by how motivated you are to find a way to make all of that happen.

After a brief hiatus, our weekly Dear Heather ... feature is returning to the fitness blog here at Families.com So if you have fitness questions, concerns or just want to know something, feel free to send it my way and I will do my best to get your questions answered.

Dear Heather,

I am very worried about my daughter. She's 9 years old and she's already much taller than most of the kids in her class or her age. But over the summer she started putting on weight and I know she is getting teased at school. I'm concerned about the obesity issue, but she has no interest in a lot of the team sports that I could sign her up for. When she comes home from school, she sits down in front of the TV., does her homework and that's where she stays. She's a straight A student and she's very smart, but she prefers her television programs and books to being outside. I was wondering if a personal trainer might be a good idea, someone who would actively get her up and moving a couple of times a week. What do you think?

Worried Mom

Dear Worried Mom,

You can hire a personal trainer, obviously, but if you do - you want to make sure this is a person who really can work with your daughter. You also need to motivate her interests. If she likes books, maybe she would enjoy a 'walk' to the park to read. Or maybe she just wants company. I'm guessing here, of course, but I know that many children are more likely to be active when they either have their parents or other children to be active with.

She doesn't need to like just sports, either. You could try out gymnastics, karate, dance class and more. It sounds like she needs her imagination to be engaged while doing her physical fitness and dance can do that.

However, if you want to go the personal trainer route, here are some things to keep in mind when investigating a potential trainer for your daughter:

• What is their experience in working with children? Do they recognize the needs of a child's shorter attention span and their lack of interest in repetitive exercise?
• Can they work with your daughter? After the initial interview, you want your child to meet them and see if there is a natural chemistry between the two. It's important to recognize that kids want to impress people who aren't their parents, so they need to want to impress this person to work with them
• Is your child mature enough to handle working with the trainer? Can they follow instructions? Are they prone to temper tantrums? How would the trainer handle a difficult child who doesn't want to do what they are being asked to do?
• How involved will you be? Are you going to work out with them, be present or just drop her off and pick her up? What is the personal trainer's preference? I'd think initially, you need to be involved and present
• What is the trainer's focus? You're looking for someone who targets skill above strength and endurance, remember, your daughter's body is still developing - so maybe the trainer can work with them on mastering roller skates, basketball and other skills that will let them be more physically active
• Aerobic training is an iffy because our kids have smaller hearts and they have to beat faster anyway. Games of tag, kickball and other related sports are better than grinding away on the treadmill

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Be sure to check the trainer's references prior to any commitment and you may want to consult with your child's pediatrician before starting her on a new physical regimen. Good luck.