Starting was the first hurdle that I had to cross. Luckily, a friend came to my rescue. He recommended that I wear running shoes whenever I stepped out for my morning tea.

Guess what, it worked. Instead of returning home after tea, I went for an hour long walk on the beach. This set the ball rolling.

Next, I joined a local gym so I could workout at any time. The park I went to was at the other end of the beach; a good 40-minute walk one-way.

The gym I joined was a 5-minute walk from my place and so now I could workout even later in the day.

How I kept going

I didn’t attempt to fix everything at once. I knew it would be easier for me to start exercising than fix my diet. So that’s where I started. For some, it’s the other way round.

I picked exercises that I liked. That meant only bodyweight exercises for me. I stuck with bodyweight for most of my workouts and occasionally used a machine or free weights for a change.

I focused on action rather than optimisation. So all I did was push-ups and dips for the chest, pull-ups and inverted rows for the back, squats for legs, and knee raises for core. I found these exercises to be more than enough for a full-body workout.

I trained light. Few know that joints and connective tissues take far longer to get stronger and recover compared to your muscles. That’s why pulling or pushing heavy too early is a bad idea. I went from struggling to do 5 push-ups to smashing 20 in a row, only because I took it slow.

I prioritised form over reps. With so much contradictory information out there, I made sure I was getting my lessons from reputable sources and not snake oil salesmen.

I created a social feed for only fitness content. I would browse through posts on days when I wouldn’t feel like working out. 15 minutes later, I’m on my way to the gym.

I used a streaks app. It helped me see how far I’ve come and course-correct when I started slipping up.

I missed days but restarted as soon as I could. This is the little known secret to consistency - not long streaks but beginning again. In December of last year, I went on a short trip and missed my regular workout for one week which quickly turned into two. The longer I went without exercising the more difficult it was to start again. Until, I finally broke the spell and just hit the gym.

Ten tips

1. Goals (six-pack;) are how you make decisions, habits (workout) are how you build behaviours. So instead of focusing on building a six-pack in 3 months, focus on working out everyday for only 10 minutes.

2. Something inside you flips at the 3 week mark. You get hooked. So stick with it, even on days when you don’t feel like exercising.

3. When you fall off the wagon, begin again. This is where habits are built. And the sooner you restart the easier it gets.

4. In the first few weeks, pay more attention to how you feel on the inside than how you look on the outside. Your energy levels will rise. Your mood improves. You'll feel much stronger.

5. Don’t force anything. Don’t push through pain. Back off if it hurts.

6. Don’t fall for that 100 push-ups a day type of nonsense. You’ll only injure yourself.

7. Don’t go looking for that perfect exercise programme. Just start with 3 to 6 exercises you enjoy and add more as you go. As they say, the best training programme is the one you’re on.

8. Don’t fall prey to the all or nothing mindset. Do what you can, when you can, but try to do it everyday if you can. Cuz, even a little goes a long way.

9. When you’re starting out, you’ll feel weak. You’ll get a little dejected that you’re unable to do x number of push-ups. You’ll struggle with proper form. But keep pushing through, no matter what. Even if that means doing only a couple of push-ups.

10. Lastly, look at fitness as a lifestyle not a 3 month fad. So enjoy the journey.

What’s next for me

I want to increase my cardiovascular endurance and that’s why I’m starting with the Couch to 5k running programme this week. I’d also like to be able to do a muscle-up, handstand and l-sit this year. So my body weight routine will now include skill work too.

Working out consistently has changed my life. It may not look like much, but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved so far. I hope you can experience this too.

P.S. Book recommendations

Overcoming Gravity by Steven Low

Training for the New Alpinism by Steve House and Scott Johnston

8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back by Esther Gokhale (This book focuses on posture correction using the Gokhale Method.)