Note: Please consult with your health care professional before starting a new exercise program.

Ever have a day so frenetically full that your exercise routine falters? Do you feel so tired that your motivation to get moving completely fails? That's okay. You're perfectly normal. But a day without exercise can make your body feel worse and give you the grumps. So try a few of these common-sense tricks to put the spark back into your workout.

Dress up. Put on your best workout clothes, because when you're looking good you'll be motivated to get up and work out. Getting dressed to exercise tricks your brain into getting ready for something big. If you don't own good-quality workout gear that makes you feel more confident, then this is the time to splurge. Treat yourself to a new pair of shorts and a jog bra or top.

Join a training group. When it's raining outside or the morning alarm sounds a little extreme, you'll have to come up with a pretty good reason to blow off a training partner. Once you've worked out with a group or the same partner for a while, you'll be surprised at how you'll come to rely on someone's incessant chatter to get you through the first mile.

Set a goal. Whether it's running your first 5K this spring, walking in a local charity race or riding your bike 100 miles, setting a goal will motivate you and keep you disciplined. You're less likely to skip a workout if you've set a goal for a specific event.

Spend money. If you pay for a class or hire a personal trainer, you'll feel obligated to get your money's worth. More women hire personal trainers as a way to learn how to do a sport properly and as a way to stay motivated. There's nothing like having someone counting leg lifts or sit-ups to make you work harder.

Explore. Expand your horizons by exploring a new mall, bike path or trail. A lot of the big new urban malls and neighborhoods are being built with parks and bike paths around them. Treat yourself and go shopping after you walk a lap around the entire mall. Or check out a whole new housing development and take a lap around their new parks and paths. You might find your next best running loop.

Shelley Downing is a health and fitness writer who has written and edited for numerous national publications including Trail Runner magazine, Climbing magazine, Shape and Runner's World.