This is about exercise. My brother is due to show up in a few minutes. I hope he forgets and watches a football game or something. About six weeks ago, we made a pact that we would jog together every two or three days. We would start out modest and slowly build up.

I hardly need to preach to you the benefits of exercise, but there is an extra dimension with our illness - namely, exercise is a very effective and side effects-free antidepressant. The only catch is you have to do it.

There are two ways to stick to an exercise regimen: 1) Find a physical activity you enjoy, such as hiking or dancing, 2) Find a partner or group of people to do it with.

I hate running. Except for an occasional lapse in sanity, I haven’t done it since high school. Trust me, without my brother I wouldn’t even contemplate it. When we’re out together jogging, I am prone to follow the first thought that enters my mind, namely to stop jogging. He’s probably thinking the same thing. But I’m not going to be the one who stops first. 

So we both push ourselves. Nevertheless, I really hope he forgets he is supposed to show up today.

Oh, crap. Here he is.

Question: Do you exercise regularly? Tell us about it. What are your tricks for sticking with your regimen?