I am constantly helping people overcome barriers to exercise, whether it’s a time issue, fear of exercise or a fear of failure.

While some excuses are baseless, I take these issues very seriously to help clients overcome the barriers with a plan that will work for them.

One popular obstacle I’ve seen recently is people missing exercise time because of family emergencies and the regular stress of family life. As baby boomers grow older, they are taking a more active role as their parents’ care-giving – a situation which won’t go away any time soon.

But baby boomers have clearly said they want to keep active as they age. Since they comprise a good portion of our population, boomers can either be a burden on our health care system by being inactive, or they can keep moving and live a long and fruitful life.

I constantly hear that family comes first. Well, I would hope so! But how can you care for your family if you’re not taking care of yourself ? I say you need to be No. 1, so you are able to care for those around you.

There will always be times where you fall off or miss exercise for a few days or a couple of weeks. The challenge is to not let this become a habit.

Your exercise program may not be as long or as intense as you would like. But sometimes just showing up and doing anything is a great way to maintain your routine. Keeping up the habit by going for a quick walk or doing a simple 20-minute exercise routine might be just enough to get you through the difficult times.

Being last on your priority list won’t do anybody any good. You could actually become more of a burden on your family if your health deteriorates