Some moms bake homemade cookies, and some moms order take-out. Some moms are triathletes, and some moms can't find 10 minutes for themselves. Becoming a fit and active person doesn't mean that you need to go to the gym or become a runner. The only thing it means is that you need to figure out how you and your life can be active in a way that works for you and makes you happy.

Fit people who enjoy exercise usually have a number of activities and ways to exercise so they can get their fix in. But very often, before people get started, they are concerned about their limitations, such as time and money.

The following are some common exercise concerns and issues, and their solutions.

Very often, when people set goals, they focus on the end result, such as “I want to lose ten pounds” or “I want to wear size eight jeans.” These statements aren't helpful, though, because they don't include an action, or a way to actually reach the goal. How are you going to lose the ten pounds or wear smaller jeans? You need a detailed plan to reach a goal. So, let's first focus on creating an active intention, which is much more likely to lead to success.

For example, you could create an intention of walking 20 minutes every day when you wake up. Or you could set the intention to use one segment of a DVD that has collections of 10-minute workouts on it. More than anything else, intentions are doable; they aren't wishful thinking. The following is a list of sample active intentions you can use as a model for your own:

• Take two step aerobics classes this week.

• Garden on Sunday morning.

• Walk after dinner three nights this week.

• Take a bike ride on Saturday.

• Go dancing Friday night.

The good news is that the ultimate result of an active intention is often something you want, such as losing weight or wearing smaller jeans. If you walk every day, you'll probably lose weight if you begin to strength train; you'll fit into smaller jeans, and even more important, if you become more active, you'll be fitter.

Now that you know about the overload principle, FITT, and some of what your fitness requirements will be to stay healthy and lose weight, write down some active intentions that will allow you to see immediate results. One can be fun, like buying workout pants. One can be easy, like making sure you walk ten minutes on your lunch hour; and one can be challenging, like taking a new class or going for a hike this Saturday.

Once you achieve those first goals, grab a notebook and jot down three more active intentions. Your intentions should be short term, covering from tomorrow through the week. This way, you'll be able to ensure that you can reach them. And don't forget to reward yourself! Then, the next week, write three new active intentions. You'll find that, over time, your intentions will become more intense and challenging as you see how easy it is to reach your goals this way.