You decided to start working on your fitness – good. Maybe you even decided how you’re going to go about it – better. But none of that is going to fly unless you decide when you’re going to get started.

Many people think to themselves “I should start working out, just after …”, and never get around to it. Truth is, if you’re busy today chances are you’ll be just as busy – if not more so – in a month’s time. It will never be the perfect time to start, and the longer you let the thought sit, the harder it will get to put it into action.

Unless you’re currently suffering from an injury or condition (and no, laziness doesn’t count), the best time is now. The next best time is right after you finish reading this article.

A full schedule might not be the only obstacle you think you have, but when you’re just getting started, most of these problems only exist in your head. Think you can’t exercise because you’re terribly unfit? Well, how do you propose to fix that if you don’t move? No equipment? You don’t need any equipment to do body weight exercises. No idea how to do any exercise? You can still walk.

You can do a whole lot of things without even looking at any gym equipment. Right now, your first priority is to get started. If you haven’t been doing much of anything, anything you do right now will help you.

One last bit of advice before you actually get out there: decide why you’re going to work on your fitness. Right now if you’re not doing anything else keeping that motivation in front of you will help you get started and press on when it gets tougher. Later on, it will help you pick what kind of training you want to do.

If your goal is to run a marathon, you’ll need to work on different aspects of your training than if you want to do weight lifting, martial arts, or get some fat off. Whatever your reason is, make sure you have one. Fitness doesn’t happen by accident. You have to want it to happen.

Now get out there and move.

Header image: Old alarm clocks on the street market in Trento, Italy
© Matteo Ianeselli / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-3.0