Your Personal Contract

The idea is to strike a bargain with yourself to accomplish a realistic plan in a realistic amount of time: 'I will do 'chin tucks,' 'neck stretches' and 'shoulder circles' twice a day for the next eight weeks, and I will do 'lateral lifts,' 'biceps curls' and 'triceps press' three times a week for the next eight weeks.'

The emphasis is on 'realistic.' There's no need to punish yourself or set yourself up for failure. The way to avoid that pitfall is to take a page from the politician's handbook and tack a preamble onto your contract: 'I am 95 per cent confident that I will....' Here's a tip: Don't make a plan for which your confidence ratio is less than 80 per cent. It doesn't hurt to be humble at first. Make this contract an easy one.

The ball's in your court. Fill in the form below and click on 'Submit' to generate your own personal exercise contract. You can then print it off and keep it as a handy reminder.