Senior director at an integrated-communications agency; married, no children; Fairfax, Virginia.

Expert: Joshua Harrison, a personal-training manager in Roslyn, New York.

Laura’s goal: “To make exercise part of my lifestyle again.”

Her Challenge: Laura worked out about three days a week throughout her 20s (a mix of running, Pilates classes, and using an elliptical trainer), but in the past two years, a job change and wedding planning derailed her routine. She always enjoyed training for running races because it gave her a specific program to follow and a goal to aim for. Now that the wedding is behind her and she has settled into her new job, she wants to get back into shape. “Once you lose the habit of exercising, it’s really hard to find the motivation to get going again,” says Laura.

The Trainer’s Take: “Laura is healthy and at a healthy weight,” says Joshua. “But her workout lapse has weakened her muscles and her endurance.” Happily, once she gets moving, he notes, “she should start seeing results quickly.” The key for Laura: making a plan and sticking with it.

Fitness Solutions

1. Put it on the calendar. Laura acknowledged that if workouts aren’t scheduled, they’re unlikely to happen. “The first time we met,” says Joshua, “she showed me the logs she uses to keep track of all her workouts. I was really impressed with how goal-oriented and focused she was.”

2. Hit the treadmill. Since part of Laura’s plan is to get back into running shape, Joshua suggested that she wear a heart-rate monitor when she runs to keep her from letting herself off too easily. She should walk or jog until her heart rate is at 65 percent of her maximum (about 150 beats per minute) and maintain that pace for about 8 to 10 minutes. Then Laura should speed up to 85 percent of her maximum (about 170 beats per minute) for as long as she can without getting too out of breath, then drop back down to 65 percent. (To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.) The goal is to run for a total of 30 minutes at least three days a week.

3. Strengthen the core. Laura admitted that her midsection is her weakest link, so Joshua made core-strengthening moves the main focus of a customized strength-training workout. “Running is a repetitive, high-impact motion,” says Joshua. “To avoid injury, your legs, hips, and core muscles need to be strong enough to help absorb the impact on your joints.”

Three Months Later

Laura committed to working out at 7 a.m. at least two mornings a week and followed the core-strengthening exercises. She didn’t buy a heart-rate monitor, though. “Getting back into running was hard enough without worrying about tracking my heart rate!” she says. She trained for a 10-mile run in April and has signed up for another one in October.