Don’t begin an exercise routine striving for perfection or reaching for some sort of unrealistic goal that you are not likely to meet – this will only end in disappointment and you being discouraged from training further. Instead, focus on increasing healthy behaviors. So, if you can’t run 5 kilometers just yet, make it a habit to go walking for 20 minutes every day and then slowly add to the time, the distance and the intensity.
If you’ve led a sedentary lifestyle up until now, look for various chances to be more active during the day. If you need to do some shopping, walk to the store, choose the stairs instead of the lift or take 15 minute breaks from your desk to walk the corridors. If, for some reason there is a break in your new routine, don’t get discouraged, simply start again gradually.