The vast majority of the population is not exercising enough to have a significant impact on their health.

I have heard every reason under the sun for not exercising. For every excuse I can show you 20 people who are dealing with the same situations are making exercise a priority.

Sticking with an exercise program comes down to two basic things: setting priorities and dealing with the barriers that are going to come your way. I am going to focus on the latter point.

The most common barriers to exercise are lack of time, fear, lack of knowledge and decreased motivation.

One of the major psychological theories that fitness professionals can use to address clients’ barriers to exercise is called the Trans Theoretical Model of Change. To those of you with no interest in academia: stick with me for a moment.

This model has been successfully used to help millions of people to quit smoking and stick to exercise programs. So it is not one of those textbook theories that doesn’t translate in the real world.

One of the biggest things I take away from this model is that barriers will come. It is critical that you identify them ahead of time and have an action plan for how to deal with them.

Regardless of how perfect your schedule is and how motivated you are right now, the day will come where your schedule is not your own or you are losing the motivation you once had.

For most people, time is the perceived major barrier to exercise. If this is you, then you need to schedule exercise in short, time-efficient bouts that will give you the maximum bang for your buck. For some people, this might mean exercising at 5:30 a.m. or 9 p.m.

For others, it might mean doing 30 minutes at lunchtime or getting in a workout right after work before heading home.

If there are certain times of the year that are busier for you, then you may have to cut back the time, but a 20-minute exercise session is better than none at all.

If motivation is your issue, make sure you are constantly challenging yourself with new goals and new exercise routines.

Working with a personal trainer, finding a group exercise class or getting a partner to exercise with are great ways to overcome lack of motivation.

For some, it might be as simple as reminding yourself why you are committed to exercise. The goal of living until you are 100 years old with vitality and wit might just be the thing that keeps you going.

Regardless of where you are in your exercise journey, make sure you have a plan to overcome the inevitable barriers that will come your way. We all have them.

The difference is how we react to them.