By Jay Blahnik

It is tough to stay motivated to exercise week after week. Even if you love to work out, it is easy to get stuck in a rut, lose steam or fall behind on your fitness goals.

One of the best ways to re-energize yourself and amp up your motivation is to trigger your competitive spirit. You might be scared by the thought of competition, but don't worry. Adding a competitive element to your workout routine doesn't mean you have to be a world-class athlete or have an aggressive spirit to win. And you'll be amazed at how effective it can be in helping you get results, regardless of your fitness level or athletic ability. 

Here are some easy ways to build competition into your program: 

*Train for a race. Sign up for a local or regional event that is coming up in the months ahead. Whether it is a 5K, 10K, cycling event, swimming competition or triathlon, having something to train for will definitely keep you more focused. You don't have to train to win, just train to finish. To make it more fun, pick an event that is out of town from where you live, and do it with a friend. You can make the event part of a weekend getaway that you can also use to reward yourself for your hard work in preparing for the event.  Almost every race includes people who are just doing it for fun, and you will likely be surrounded by all ability levels. This will ensure that you can be motivated by others who are at your pace. And the feeling of accomplishment when you finish is second to none.

*Challenge a friend. Buddy up with someone and hold each other accountable for your own individual goals. Then set a date in time when you both should accomplish the goal or create a way to decide a "winner." For example, you could challenge each other to walk 1 mile a day for 30 days and celebrate together when you both hit the goal. Or, challenge each other to see who can do the most minutes on the elliptical trainer for the next two weeks and whoever "loses" buys the other person lunch. The minute you create a challenge (even if the focus is not to win, but to reach a goal together), it becomes immediately more motivating to stick to it. You won't believe how much more accountable you will be when you know someone else is right on your heels!

*Track your progress. Figure out ways to measure your current activities or add new workouts that are easily measurable. Then challenge yourself to match or beat those measurements each time you work out. For example, if you love to do weights, challenge yourself to do more reps or slightly more weight for each muscle group the next time you workout. Try making the increased weight easy to do within a period of time (say 3 weeks) so you know you actually got stronger. Or, if you enjoy working out on the stair-stepper machine, try to beat your total floors climbed by one floor each time you use the machine. Once you have a reference point for how much effort, time or intensity you are currently putting in, you will find yourself motivated to not fall behind and you will likely even find yourself striving to beat your best. Boost your motivation by keeping a simple log with a chart that will allow you to see your improvements and dips.