If your basic problem is that you just don't want to/don't see the need to exercise, you need a major wakeup call. We all need to work out regularly if we want to live longer, better-quality lives, says LA Fitness Trainer Danielle Spangler. She says she has friends and clients who just refuse to exercise, and so she has to give them a little tough love. "As a last resort I'll tell people about the health risks [of not exercising] and ask them whether they want to be independent, or dependent on others when they're older. It's an eye opener."

While this may sound harsh, Dr. Michael Gervais, Ph.D, a sports psychologist who works with US Olympians, says a shock to your system can be just what you need to get motivated. "The only reason people change is because they've touched pain," he says. This pain can be anything from seeing an older family member struggle with his health, to getting fed up with being out of breath after a flight of stairs. "Embrace that, remember it, and figure out what you want to do differently."

If you haven't had your "moment of pain" yet, here are a few stats from the Get America Fit Foundation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that may serve as your wakeup call:

• Obesity is the No. 2 cause of preventable death in the United States.
• Being overweight or obese increases your risk for breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, colon cancer, hypertension, and strokes.
• People who are severely obese (with a Body Mass Index of 45 or more) live about 20 years less than people who are not overweight.

Getting thin isn't the only (or even the best) reason to exercise. Whether you need to lose weight or not, our experts say you should approach your workout with a clear goal in mind. This could be anything from looking better in your skinny jeans to finishing a 5K.

Gervais says before you even start a workout program, you need to ask yourself a few questions: 1. What is my goal? 2. What do I need to do to get there? 3. How do I want to experience this journey? And of course, there are a few things to keep in mind with each of these questions:

For the first one, Gervais says your goal should be about approaching success instead of avoiding failure. It's really all in how you phrase it. So instead of making your goal "I don't want to be the fatty in Pilates class anymore," a better goal would be "I want to be able to make it through a Pilates class and still have energy for a quick run after." A positive goal gives your mind a clearer path to follow and gives you a higher likelihood of success.

When it comes to the "hows" of achieving your goal, celebrity trainer Aaron Williamson says there are plenty of resources available to help you map out a journey. "You can always go to a website to get a program customized for you," he says. "There are tracking mechanisms built in � each day you'll be able to see your overall performance and it will let you know if you're staying on track or not."

And as for how you'll experience your workout journey, Gervais says it's important to realize that it won't be all sunshine and rainbows. "Change is met with resistance internally," he says, so you need to be honest and allow yourself to experience some frustration and anger.