As cwh2 said, you have to feel like you are working it..Walking along like you are looking hard for a 4 leaf clover will do little....Hills will do more than a little, even ones that don't seem all that big....When into middle age and just starting to workout, a heart checkout on one of their treadmills is a wise first step....,
An Apple or Garmen HR watch is a good investment for many. Not only for the immediate feedback info they give you, but they can be synced to your phone and allows one to easily track their workouts and progress....approximate calories, miles, time, elevation, frequency, a reminder to get moving, an obvious reminder one is slacking. Track heat rate variability, which is something relatively new, that many of the serious exercise people are now using to estimate when to push it and when to scale back the effort and let the body repair....Someone like mtwarden doesn't need one, because he essentially has an strongly ingrained habit...His mind will not let him miss too many workouts.
A couple workout friends that hold each other to the commitment, can make a difference until the habit becomes ingrained.....Call it a good or bad habit, but that is the necessity for long term commitment.
