Starting out with a fresh new fitness program is a great thing for anyone looking to improve their life and health. It takes a shift in one’s mindset to even seriously consider getting involved in any exercise program. After all it is much easier to stay with your normal patterns if you are used to very little physical activity. Once you do get rolling with your fitness goals it can be easy to get derailed. Good intentions are often destroyed by the reality of daily life. Here are ten obstacles that can knock you off the path to better health and fitness.

10. Excuses of any kind are easy to conjure. There are tons of ways to talk yourself out of raising your fitness level. Decide from the start that you will not talk yourself out of your goal of better health.

9. Comparison to others. Don’t be discouraged by others at a gym who look like fitness models or can run for over an hour on the treadmill. They are at different points in their program and you are just starting. They likely were exactly at your level to begin with.

8. Busy schedules. If you have a super busy life then you may have to plan your work outs at odd times. Super early or super late in the day may be the best options. If you do it first thing in the morning then it is out of the way from the jump.

7. Lack of confidence. If you have let your body go for a long time you may have lost confidence. Your body has not forgotten what it can do on a physical level. It wants to be used since it feels better with exercise. Better fitness equals more confidence.

6. Injury. Do your homework on proper stretching and techniques before starting a work-out program. Getting hurt will be a big setback.

5. Bad habits are hard to break. You have to dedicate at least 21 days to starting new fitness habits to replace the bad habits. Old habits die hard, so you have to murder them one day at a time for a stretch of days.

4. Time wasters are all around you. TV, social media, traffic and other things will eat into your free time that could be used to exercise. You have to cut out wasted time to meet your fitness goals.

3. Unsupportive friends or family. Hopefully you have a good support group around you to encourage you. But the unfit folks around you are not going to be too excited about your first two mile run. Do it for yourself.

2. The convenience of unhealthy food. It is much easier to buy junk food than it is fresh fruit or vegetables. Plan ahead to eat right.

1. The weaker self that lives inside us all. She or he whispers things like, “no one even notices you are working out” and “this bed sure feels good, let’s sleep in!” You have to knock these whispers down quickly or you will fall back into lazy and weak habits.