Hate the gym but just bought a new membership? How’d that work out last year?

You really hate walking but you’re going to start an evening walking programme next week.

You hate early mornings but you’ve made a plan to get out of bed 2 hours earlier before work.

Why? Because the wellness industry is bombarding you with marketing that this is how we get healthy and best time to do that is New Year’s.

We do need to move. It’s essential for health. But – reality is that as much as we all need physical activity, if you really hate something, you just won’t stay with it. It becomes a source of stress or guilt or discouragement. And the time to start your exercise programme is when you are ready, not because of a random date on the calendar.

Physical activity is essential for life. Here are some tips on succeeding:

1. Find the joy. Pick something you like. If you like to swim, join the gym with the pool! If you need to be outdoors, don’t join a gym. If you don’t like teams sports, don’t join a club. What do you like to do?

2. Start small. If you haven’t done anything in years, do a little, make it a habit, and build on that.

3. Don’t stress yourself. Find time that doesn’t put you under pressure. Add a walk on your lunch hour or after kids are in bed.

4. Bored? If walkig is dull, add a podcast. Need something new? Try some local sports partnership classes.

5. January not a great time to start a new walking, running, or cycling programme? Plan another date on the calendar this spring.