How to Get Started

Introduction

For many people, the hardest part of exercise is not the exercise itself.

It’s the feeling of:

being unfit

being out of routine

being exhausted

being intimidated or embarrassed

being unsure of where to begin.

And unfortunately, the health and fitness world makes this all worse by constantly exposing us to intense workouts, before-and-after transformations, sunrise gym sessions, fitness trackers, marathon training and the messages that imply that it only counts if it’s extreme. So when someone already feels tired, stressed or disconnected from movement, just getting started can feel enormous.

One of the biggest mindset shifts you can make is:

You do not have to start where somebody else is. You only need to start from where you are now.

Why Starting Feels So Hard

When people have not moved consistently for a while, exercise often feels uncomfortable very quickly. Breathing becomes harder. Muscles fatigue fast. The heart rate increases quickly.

Even simple movement can feel tiring, and this can make people believe that they’re too unfit to try. But physiologically, your body is simply deconditioned - not broken. The magic (and downside) is that the body adapts to what it repeatedly does. If we sit for long periods, move very little and avoid physical challenge, the body gradually becomes less efficient at producing energy, using oxygen, tolerating effort and discomfort and recovering from movement. But on the other hand, the body adapts remarkably quickly once movement becomes consistent again.

You do not need to be fit before you start, because if you’re waiting for that to happen on it’s own, it won’t.

You also can’t wait for motivation, confidence, energy or time, because these too will never come. These things come after movement has become a routine, not before.

Movement itself improves energy, mood, stress resilience, sleep, mobility, confidence and fitness, so this means, the beginning is the hardest part, but it can only get better once you start.

Think about the ‘before’ feeling of exercising. It’s not a great feeling. We know it’ll be tough, we feel lazy, we make excuses, and we don’t look forward to being in a state of discomfort.

But if you then think about the ‘after’ feeling, you’ll realise it feels pretty good. We feel alive, we have energy, we’re proud for showing up, the temporary discomfort has left us feeling strong.

So always try to think about how you’ll feel afterwards, before completely writing off the idea of getting it done.

Start Even Smaller Than You Think You Need To

One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to overhaul their entire lifestyle overnight. They go from doing nothing or very little, to training 6 days a week at 5 am, following strict plans, doing intense workouts, or setting unrealistic expectations and goals.

This usually leads to soreness, exhaustion, inconsistency, guilt, resentment and eventually stopping altogether. The body responds better to consistency than intensity.

And psychologically, small wins matter. Every time you complete a manageable action, the brain starts building evidence:

“I am someone who moves and that movement felt good.”

That identity shift is incredibly powerful.

So Where Should You Actually Start?

The best thing to do is to set yourself a goal: what is it that you want to achieve?

Follow this S.M.A.R.T approach:

S - SPECIFIC - You should know the outcome of your goal

“I want to be able to do push ups in the next 3 months”

M - MEASUREABLE - How far/fast/how many?

“I want to do 10 pushups in under 1 minute in the next 3 months”

A - ACHIEVABLE - Is it pushing you out of your comfort zone without being unrealistic? If you’re currently sedentary, wanting to run a marathon would be unrealistic. Break it down into smaller pieces.

R - RELEVANT - Do you secretly despise running? Then running probably isn’t the right goal.

T - TIME BOUND - when will you achieve this by?

“I want to do 10 unbroken push ups in under 1 minute within the next 3 months”

You definitely don’t want to become an athlete overnight. Rather, aim to move more regularly, build your confidence and physical capacity slowly, and create a routine that feel sustainable.

This might be:

15 minutes of walking every day

Stretching every night before bed

Adding in two workouts every week

Walking Is One of the Best Places to Begin

Walking is often underestimated because it feels too simply. But walking improves the health of basically every system in your body. It’s also accessible to anyone, anywhere, it’s low impact, and it can be built into daily life.

If you have no idea where to begin, this is more than enough:

Week 1 and Week 2:

Goal: create routine and consistency

Walk for 10 - 15 minutes 5 days of the week

Stretch for 5 minutes afterwards or before bed

Note: if it’s raining and you can’t walk, swap it for a longer stretch.

Week 3 and Week 4:

Goal: Build tolerance.

Walk for 20 minutes 4 days of the week.

Try add small hills or sections with a slightly faster pace.

Stretch for 5 minutes afterwards or before bed.

Do one day a week of short strength:

10 chair squats

10 wall push ups

20 step ups

Repeat 3 x

Note: if you’re sore or genuinely exhausted, swap the strength for another day of walking. If 20 minutes feels too long, drop the walk to 10 minutes.

The focus is on just showing up, not on the intensity.

Week 5 and Week 6:

Goal: Build confidence

Walk for 20 - 30 minutes 3 days a week at a brisk pace

Do a short strength session two days of the week - focus on more repetitions.

What About Short Term Challenges?

Short-term challenges can sometimes help people build momentum.

Things like a daily step goal, a beginner walk-run program, or a short planking challenge can create structure, accountability and purpose.

But the goal should never be:

“How hard can I push myself for 30 days?”

The goal should be:

“Can I build habits I can still continue afterwards?”

And again, these challenges should align with your personal goals.

Here are a few mini challenges to help you get started:

The 5-5-5-30 Morning Routine

Every morning, before you start your day, do the following:

5 push ups (floor or wall)

5 squats

5 lunges per leg

30-second plank

Do it every day for 7 - 14 days.

Bodyweight Basics:

Day 1: 10 squats, 10 push ups, 10 - 30-second plank

Day 2: 15 minute walk, 30-second wall sit

Day 3: Stretching

Day 4: 3 x 10 jumping jacks, 10 lunges, 10 crunches

Day 5: 20 minute walk

Day 6: 10 squats, 10 push ups, 10 - 30-second plank

Day 7: rest and stretch

You Are Not Behind

One of the most harmful beliefs you can have is that you’ve left it too late.

The body is incredibly adaptable and even the tiniest adjustments to your life will make a noticeable difference. You can improve your strength, mobility, fitness, balance, energy and metabolic health at almost any age.

The healthiest people are not the ones doing extreme exercise. They’re the ones who have found ways to move consistently.

The Beginners Guide to Movement

TODAY:

Take a short (5 - 10 minute) walk

Stand up between meetings or once every hour

Stretch for 5 minutes

Calf raises while brushing teeth

THIS WEEK:

Walk 3 times this week

Stretch before bed on 3 nights

Focus on consistency

Walk while on a phone call

Take the stairs (where possible)

Do squats while the kettle boils

Try one strength session

Stretch at the end of your work day

THIS MONTH:

Move 14 times

Do a strength session 6 times in the month

Celebrate small wins

Create a new healthy habit

Stretch at the end of your work day

Aim for 1000 more steps per day than you usually do

Park far away from your destination

Reach 5000 steps

Do dedicated movement 4 out of 7 days

Add movement to one daily habit (i.e. after lunch)

Notice improvements in energy, mood or fitness