 Last month, we asked Synergy readers how they stay in shape. Hitting the gym regularly and taking regular walks were top options and a couple of readers said a personal trainer helped get them into the exercise groove. But no matter what kind of workout our survey participants favor, there was one consistent piece of advice among all tips. The key? Find something you like to do and make it a regular part of your life.
“It's the little decisions and small steps you take to stay healthy every day that make the biggest difference! I don't have much time each day for working out, but I schedule it in for about 20 minutes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights,” a reader who uses exercise DVDs and a workout X-box game told us.
“We have access to a gym at my office and I go as often as I can during lunch hour! I also take walks outside as a break in the afternoon when weather permits,” another wrote.
Having an exercise buddy is a popular way to stay motivated, too. “I work out with a friend and make it fun! We go to cardio/weight training classes full of loud music and fun dance type moves,” a survey participant said.
 Walking with family members was also high on the list of ways to make exercise part of a daily routine. One reader explained how setting up “mini challenges” -- kids and parents challenge each other to 15 to 30 minute bike rides or walks on a treadmill -- make family workouts fun.
Over half the survey respondents mentioned they start the day with exercise, whether walking the dog, doing yoga and stretching, stopping by the gym or working out at home. “I use a glider first thing in the morning. By the time I am even fully awake, my workout is half over,” one wrote.
Some Synergy readers are fitness dynamos, exercising in multiple ways. “I walk and workout in the morning before work; I attend a fitness class like yoga or boot camp class in the evenings. I also play racquetball two days a week before work,” a reader told us. “I work out five days a week and have been doing it for years.”
Other Synergy readers report they have succeeded in staying in shape by finding simple ways to get more exercise during the day. For example, one survey participant does squats while talking on the phone or watching TV and another advises playing music and dancing daily. “I take the stairs whenever I can at work,” a reader explained. “I also go outside and walk when I take breaks.”
Wearing a pedometer to keep track of how many steps are taken every day has helped one survey participant step up her exercise. “It has made a huge difference,” she said. “I’ve even got my husband wearing one so I have someone to compete against.”
The most unusual tip came from a reader who manages to exercise while commuting! “I work on my thigh muscles when I am in the car. I hold a bottle of water between my legs and squeeze it while waiting at lights and stop signs.”
We picked survey participant Laura W. at random to receive a $ 50 Visa gift card. “I walk my dog for 15 minutes before and after work,” Laura told us. “We both get fresh air and exercise rain or shine.”
Thanks to everyone who participated – and keep on exercising!
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