New to exercise or haven't trained in a while and not sure where to start? You don't need to launch yourself all guns blazing into a new routine - of course, you can if you want to, but if you're aiming for a more sustainable way of exercising rather than a short burst effort of training, here are some tips to ease you into it.

Form a plan

Don't leave things to chance. Starting exercising can be hard. Changing your habits and routine is hard. So make sure you're prepared for it. Figure out your goals, then create an action plan around it to form habits so that you know what to do each day.

Build up over time

You don't need to complete a full hour HIIT session or run 5km in your first week! Your key goals at each training session when you first start should be to:

• Show up
• Move in whatever way serves you best

Taking your first step outside the door to go for a run or head to the gym is usually the most difficult part. Stick to your workouts like they're important appointments. Once you've started, move in whatever way you can - walk instead of run, do child's pose instead of mountain climbers, slow down your push ups and focus on technique rather than banging out as many of them as you can.

Your fitness and strength will gradually build so give your body the permission to take the time to get there!

Be flexible

Some days your energy won't be great or your training plan might not work out for whatever reason. Be prepared to swap out your bootcamp class for a gentle stretch session, or trade your morning yoga for a brisk afternoon walk in the park. The key is just to get your body moving each day in any way. When you feel you can put effort into a decent workout, go for it, and if you feel you need a recovery session, go for something low impact or more gentle.

Make sure it's fun!

If you're not enjoying it, you won't stick to it - not for long enough to get sustainable results. Add variety into your workouts, and do your exercise with other people such as your friends, family and work colleagues. Try new sports and exercise classes. Some people can slog it out on their own on the treadmill every workout, but for most people doing the same workout every time will get boring quickly.

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