Even for experienced runners, a marathon is one of the most challenging and rewarding events around. If you’re new to running, however, you might be intimidated by the total time, distance, and effort it can take to complete a marathon. It goes without saying that running a full-length marathon will help you lose weight and increase your fitness levels since you have to train yourself beforehand to endure the challenge.

Do you struggle to create a regular exercise routine? Have you failed at it time and time again, only to end up taking the walk of shame to the fridge where you’ll soon drown your sorrows in a tub of ice cream? It doesn’t have to be this way. It is possible to get over the hump that prevents you from developing an exercise routine that sticks.

Let’s face it, there is no quick fix or magic pill that will lead to optimal health and longevity. If you really want to look and feel great in your 40s, 50s and beyond, you need to think about the long term. Since many of us have busy lives and find it difficult to set aside the time to eat right and exercise, here are a few habits you can easily integrate into your daily life that will pay huge dividends later on.

You know that it’s important to stick to a regular exercise routine in order to stay healthy. You may have been told that skipping exercises means you are lazy. But this is far from being true. Sometimes your body is simply not ready to exercise, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for missing a day or two of working out if you have a valid reason to do so.

If you’re getting tired of your usual workout routines in the gym, maybe it’s time to diversify by trying a water exercise - swimming. Swimming boosts your general physical fitness. It allows you to workout with very little impact on your body, meaning you can relax your joints and muscles while submerging yourself in the pool.

Eva Longoria has an awesome butt. Wouldn’t it be great to have one just like her? While it might seem like this idea is impossible, there are a couple of classic exercises and one obvious, but often overlooked, idea that can make a world of difference for your behind.

Walking has never had the same level of trendiness or excitement about it as other exercise methods. Who would want to walk when they can run, swim, practice yoga, dance zumba? It is written off as a dull, functional exercise that only warrants being considered if you’re going to do it anyway.