As people all over the nation rush out to fulfill their resolutions to diet, lose weight and exercise, the sheer number of exercise and fitness programs out there can be overwhelming. Personal trainer and fitness expert, Leah Arnold, has done your homework for you, giving you her list of the top five pit falls of sticking with a worn out exercise program, or joining a program that will wear out before you do.

"Among my most successful clients lie a handful of critical steps that kept them on track, and kept their goals in focus," says Arnold. "These goal achievers avoided some costly mistakes by learning these very simple truths that could save you time, money, effort and energy as you pursue your personal fitness goals this year."

Fitness Monotony

You are far less likely to keep working towards your goals if you let yourself become trapped in a program or routine that never changes. Make sure you have a range of options and choices in your health and fitness program, so that when monotony rears its ugly head, you can shake it off by shifting gears and adding new classes or workouts.

Quality Not Quantity

If you have weight loss goals but have never tried interval training, you're definitely not getting the most out of your time, money or effort. There isn't much that's more effective at taking off extra weight as utilizing interval training. Proper use of interval training can help you burn up to 700 percent more fat calories per minute, so it's definitely worth looking into

Believing One Size Fits All

With all of the look-a-like homogenized express programs available, it's very easy to be lulled into believing that what works for one person will work for you. Demand variety and choice in your fitness program. Look for facility that's willing to help you build your very own program, and help you to tweak it, as you get closer to your goals.

Lack of Fitness Knowledge

If you have substantial goals you want to reach, but have never spent time with a certified trainer, you are not wringing the most out of your time and money. A certified trainer has a wealth of information to pass on that will make your time spent exercising the most effective it can possibly be, and help you avoid the pitfalls of over training, de-training and plateaus.

Procrastination

Procrastinating kills goals and stymies positive outcomes. If you are not seeing the results you want in your current routine, do something about it now. Hanging on to a system or routine that isn't working for you will only continue to cost you more time and money without paying out the dividends you were expecting.

Source: Isis Fitness