I've been thinking about all the things I use on a daily basis to help me get out and walk and/or run each day. I have a few things that I can't live without and I thought I'd share them with you.

SHOES: I recently bought these shoes and they are awesome. I'm kind of embarrassed to say I found them by doing an Amazon search for woman's running shoes that were less than $50 and were eligible for Prime shipping. I didn't really have "high" standards. I just wanted new shoes and I didn't want to spend a lot of money. But holy cow, these babies are awesome. So light. Perfect fit. Amazingly adorable. I love them.

WAIST POUCH: After slipping my phone into my bra one too many times, I decided I need to get some sort of running pouch to hold my phone and keys (if needed). I saw the HipSister's Left Coast Fitness Band at a store in the Minneapolis airport. When got home, I order one from Amazon and have been wearing it ever since. Pay attention to the sizing information. I ordered a medium and had to return it since it was way too big. I just assumed because I wear a medium in most things, I'd wear a medium in this band. I couldn't even keep it on my hips, it slid right off. The small fits perfectly and I wear it every, single day when we go out to walk, run or hike.

SHORTS: It's super hot in Arizona right now, so I wear light weight, running shorts pretty much any time I go out to exercise. My favorites are from Old Navy: they fit just right and they are very reasonably priced. After I fell in love with my first pair, I went and bought a couple more in different colors, so I could rotate through them.

FITBIT: I've been wearing a FitBit Flex since March 2014. I love it. It motivates me every single say to get up and move more. I have a little bit of a competitive streak and having a FitBit lets me and Mike "compete" to see who can get more steps. Before my FitBit, I had no idea how much or how little I was moving each day. A friend of mine recently said, "What gets measured, gets done." No truer words were ever spoken. Having a tool to measure my movement, has made me get off my butt and move.

A FITNESS BUDDY: I've discovered the most important exercise tool for me is a fitness buddy. Mike (my husband) and I exercise together pretty much every, single day. When I'm feeling tired or unmotivated, he makes me do it anyway. I'm always grateful once I've gotten out there and got my blood pumping. I do the same for him when he's not in the mood to exercise. It's a push pull sort of thing ... and it's really made a huge difference for both of us. We have someone to be accountable to besides ourselves, and that's proven to be a game changer.

What are some fitness or exercise tools you can't live without? I'd love to hear what works for you to make your exercise experience better or at the very least, more manageable.