Today we begin my new year's series on establishing order in your environment. This week, we'll focus on health. Let's face it – if you aren't feeling well, it's hard to care about whether your house is clean and if you are saving enough for retirement.

Exercise is an important element of good health. Contrary to popular opinion, exercise alone won't result in substantial weight loss. That requires changing your eating habits. (We'll talk about diet on Wednesday.) But exercise can build strength, improve your metabolism and your sleep, lower risk of illness and falls — and just make you feel better. While my muscles may be sore after a tough workout, I generally find that my overall well-being improves when I exercise regularly.

Now, I'm not saying that you need to be training for the Olympics or for the Iron Man Triathlon. As a basic goal, you should be trying to exercise for at least 30 minutes three times a week. If you do set some sort of a competition goal (like a race, you may want or need to do more, but this is a good starting baseline.

Now, let's look at all the reasons you are thinking that's impossible:

I don't have time to exercise. If need be, you can break those 30 minutes into three ten minute segments. Are there really not three ten minute segments on three days a week? It doesn't have to be the same three days each week. I don't know about you, but I easily blow more than 20 minutes a day checking my Facebook feed, clicking links, and scrolling through the available tv channels. Maybe it will be easier to find time at work one day a week. Find an out of the way staircase and go up and down ten minutes before work, ten minutes at lunch, and ten minutes after work. It's not exciting, but it's exercise. You can also combine exercise with other things. Combine a half hour of walking with your next trip to the mall. Or make family time exercise time — go for a hike or a bike ride or just play tag in the yard.

I'm so out of shape that I can't do anything. You don't need to train like an Olympic athlete. Just move. A brisk walk around the block (several times), a game of beach volleyball on vacation, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, doing squats while you empty the dishwasher. Start with what you can do and continue challenging yourself as you get more comfortable. When I started running again after several months off, I started by running in 30 second spurts and then walking for two minutes. Start where you can and track your progress. I bet you'll surprise yourself.

I don't have the right equipment and I can't afford a gym. You can walk or run almost anywhere. If it isn't safe to walk in your neighborhood, try a park or a mall. (If you are worried about the shopping temptation in the mall, leave your cash and cards at home. Carry only your keys, your phone, your id, and $5. You won't be doing much shopping. Weight-bearing activity should be part of your exercise routine — along with cardio activities like running, biking, and brisk walking. You don't need to purchase weights. You can focus on lifting your body weight with exercises like squats, lunges, wall sits, push ups, and crunches. All you need for those is a body, about 12 square feet of floor space, and a wall. A mat is nice, but not necessary.

It's too cold/hot outside. Well, there are indoor activities, like the weight-bearing exercises discussed about, climbing steps at work, and walking in malls. Or you can just dress for the weather. I ran today in a 24 degree wind chill. It was great to breathe the cold air. I wore multiple layers with a hat and gloves.  The only time I won't run outside is if  there's ice or snow on the ground since that makes an injury more likely. In that case, a gym membership is helpful since it gives you a safe place to do more intense cardio work.

You don't need to buy a ton of stuff. You probably already have sweats and t-shirts in your drawers. You may have weights, mats, etc. from the last time you decided to get into shape. Drag them out. No need to buy a ton of workout videos. many cable systems offer free on-demand videos. Or you can take a few videos out of the library and try them out to see if any are worth buying. There is one purchase you should consider: invest in a decent pair of sneakers if yours are poor quality or more than a year or two old. It's worth the expense to reduce the likelihood of a chronic injury.

The key to exercising more (and with most good habits) is to make it easy to do what is right:

Know the kinds of exercise you like best. Why do something you hate? Do you like classes? Working out with a partner? Working out alone? Being outside? Being in the gym atmosphere? Do you need to be competitive or does competition turn you off? If you create your workout regimen around things you enjoy, it's a lot easier to keep doing it.

Keep your workout clothes handy. Just seeing your sweats and sneakers sitting out may make you more likely to suit up and get out there. If I have to dig out workout clothes when I'm already tired and looking for excuses, I'm more likely to stay on the couch. Similarly, if you like using exercise videos, keep an assortment in an easily accessible place.

Finally, set achievable goals and reward yourself for reaching them. For example, your goal might be to complete a 5k in under 45 minutes. If you do that, give yourself a treat. Your treats are only limited by your budget and your imagination, but I do offer one caution: don't make it food. That starts a rather unhealthy cycle of food as reward and comfort. Some of my favorite rewards include a new piece of workout gear, a spa treatment, an evening in the hammock with a trashy novel, and movie night. Pick something that works for you and

Get out there and MOVE!