Now that beach season is upon us, plenty of people are thinking about picking up another shape-up routine. Starting an exercise program – and sticking with it – is all about recognizing your own style.

Some people never talk about starting an exercise routine because they’ve never stopped moving. They consider their exercise routine much the same as daily hygiene – as routine as brushing your teeth or taking a shower. They might miss a session every now and then, but they’re not trying to be perfect. They’re focusing on a good average.

Consistent exercisers aren’t all about the short-term goal. They intend to be active today, tomorrow and forever.

Who are they? Maybe the lone runner or walker you seem to pass every day, or the person who is at the gym every time you are there. Or maybe it’s the tennis player you regularly see at your neighborhood courts.

What do these people have that others don’t? Nothing that anyone else can’t acquire.

Here are a few ideas to help you adopt – permanently – the attitudes and behaviors of consistent exercisers:

•Choose activities you like. Recognize that you can change your mind whenever you like. You can do the same thing every day until you’re tired of it, or you can do something different every day of the week. It’s up to you. Just keep moving. Understand that, over a lifetime, you’ll go through changes that will require you to change things now and then. Maybe it will be an injury or illness, or maybe you’ll just want to try something new. Be ready to roll with what life brings you.

•Train your brain to think realistically. Perfectionism doesn’t work if your goal is to be active, long-term. Strive for a good average rather than a perfect score. For example, if you’re strapped for time, do part of your workout instead of skipping it entirely. That improves your average.

•Develop the art of not giving up. Imagine yourself staying active throughout your life. Realize that life has its challenges, but you can decide to figure out solutions to problems, rather than giving up. Keep the mind flexible and it will be a good problem-solver.

•Choose incentives that make sense. A lifetime of healthful exercise requires both short- and long-term goals, not short-term goals alone. Starting to exercise to train for a race is good, but if that’s your only goal, it’s likely that you won’t have an incentive to keep moving after the race. Instead, choose a meaningful long-term goal, such as “I want to stay active so that I can stay independent in my older years.” Then add to that many short-term goals, such as “I want to learn to dance salsa,” “I want to run a 10K” or “I want to increase my walking pace.” The combination of long- and short-term goals keeps your brain focused on movement.

•Don’t make losing weight your primary goal. This is the most common reason people start an exercise program, but it just doesn’t work long-term. Include weight management on your list of reasons to exercise, but don’t put it at the top. Put health and happiness at the top instead. Perhaps daily exercise helps you reduce your stress level or helps control your diabetes. It may keep you limber so that you can continue your passion to garden into old age. These kinds of priorities are far more likely to keep you moving than getting ready for swimsuit season.