The hardest part is getting motivated enough to just do it. So start by planning out your week. Find a time that you will realistically work out. If you're not a morning person, schedule you're workouts for right after work. If you never seem to have any spare time, try squeezing a mini workout into your lunch break. Any little bit helps (even 15 minutes), so write it down so that you know you've committed that time to exercise.

Aim for getting 30 minutes of cardio most days of the week. For three of those days, try to do something with a little more intensity, shortening the duration to 20 minutes. Switch up the type you do (walking, jogging, elliptical, hiking, stairs, fitness class, biking, etc). Make sure that you include a 5-10 minute warmup and cooldown.c 

When you're just starting out, dedicate two or three weekly workouts to strength training. Perform exercises that target each of your major muscle groups (upper body, abdomen/back and lower body). As you advance, you can split your workouts so that they focus on one muscle group per workout. You want to make sure that your routine is not slanted to favor either cardio or strength training, because both are important to getting in shape and losing weight.c 

You can incorporate your flexibility training into the cooldown portion of your workout, unless flexibility is one of your specific goals. In that case, try scheduling a yoga class once a week to start out or set aside one to two workouts per week specifically tailored to flexibility training.c 

When developing your schedule and routine, keep your goals in mind (or have them written out so that you have a visual reminder). If you're looking to maintain your weight, three days a week should be sufficient, but if you want to lose weight, aim for five to six days per week.c

1. Check your local gym/recreation center for classes that fit into your schedule.
2. Make it a family affair. Get the kids to come with you for a walk after dinner or schedule family time in the park on a Saturday.
3. Include your coworkers. Invite them to join you on your lunch-time walk or get involved with a work-sponsored sports team.
4. Look for community groups. There are groups for everything from nighttime runners to volunteer work (anything that's not sitting on the couch will help you burn calories).
5. Get an accountability partner. Whether you pay a personal trainer or ask a friend along to the gym, having another person will increase the likelihood that you'll stick to your routine.