UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., March 26 (UPI) -- Time management may be key to setting better health goals, such as exercising several times a week, a U.S. researcher said.

David Conroy of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa., measured weekly intentions and physical activity performance of 33 college students during a 10-weeks period.

Conway and colleagues tracked week-by-week changes in study participants' motivation to exercise and they said those "don't-feel-like-it weeks" really hurt the capacity to stick with the program.

"People with the strongest weekly commitments were more likely to be successful," Conroy said in a statement. "Most people set goals without considering their commitment and how those commitments will change from a week-to-week basis."

Good time management could help with exercise consistency, Conroy said.

The study was published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.