After a busy and stressful week at work and at home, I realized I need to do a better job of managing my stress. Exercise is one great way to do that.

Yet, despite the recommendations I make in this blog about the importance of exercise, it's often the first activity I let go when my life gets busy. Sure, I do a lot of the right things, like park at the back of the parking lot, take the stairs, and walk the long way around if I have time. But routine exercise is not always a part of my week.

As I developed a strategy to change my exercise ways, I considered the following questions: What is realistic? What can I expect of myself long-term? What will I enjoy? These are all hard questions to answer for someone who works long hours and has a small child.

We all have competing priorities - we just need to make exercise one of them. Like other lifestyle modifications, you're more likely to achieve your exercise goal if you share it with someone or create a buddy system so you have someone to hold you accountable. You also need to remember that you'll have days when things just don't go as planned and it's OK to stray for a day and start again tomorrow.

What did I do to help me meet my goal? Well, the dog and I have a pact: we will walk for 45 minutes at least four mornings a week. Meeting the goal will require some schedule changes and re-set priorities on walk days, but in the long run I think it will be worth it.