It’s hard to stay fit. There’s always something competing for your time that’s more pressing or — let’s face it — more fun than exercise, and justifications for staying put abound.

The three women on the following pages had excellent reasons for not working out — “I’m too busy”; “It’s too boring”; “I have a new baby” — and their rationales sound all too familiar to the legions of Americans who truly want to work out but just can’t manage it. However, these three were determined to change their ways.

To help understand their daily challenges, they kept journals for a week and wore pedometers to track their steps. Each woman was paired with a trainer, who analyzed her activities and designed a routine that would mesh with her life and fitness aspirations. Real Simple then checked in with them 10 months later.

Here’s how they fared, and how the trainers’ solutions can motivate you too.