On my playlist this morning: Harder, better, faster, stonger by Daft Punk

What I did: Stairs, 40 minutes, walk 10 minutes, weights 5 minutes

To stick with exercise, experts will often tell you it's important to find something that motivates you to stick with it.

It could be something as simple as seeing a certain number on a scale, or something like watching Olympians win gold medals.

For me, being motivated comes down to one simple thing: bribery.

Yes, I said bribery.

On days when my motivation is lacking, I rely heavily on a core set of tools that reward me for being fit. So, in a sense, I bribe myself.

Some people buy themselves new sneakers as an incentive to start a new exercise routine, and that's great if it keeps you going.

But me? I need something to remind me daily why my exercise routine is good for me (more than just an expert opinion or my family reminding me why).

Here's a quick roundup of my go-to tools for those days when I feel like I'd rather get a root canal than exercise.

Fitbit: This is the tracking device that I use. The website pulls data, such as my daily calories burned, steps taken, miles walked, and sleep data (although I often forget to turn that function on). It allows me to see pretty charts and graphs of my progress, including my all-time step records and badges that I've earned through the site for my steps. I can also log my food intake here, although I honestly prefer to do that on another site called Lose It!, which I'll explain next.