Start small for big success in 2023

A common thing that I see people do (particularly when the New Year rolls around) is make big plans to begin exercise and ‘burn out’ when they put in a lot of effort and just end up more sore, painful, and drained than before they started. I often advocate to start with the end in mind. Do just enough to nudge yourself in a positive direction to start, and do this until you have established a routine of exercise. This way, you will give your body an opportunity to feel good with movement instead of sore and achy from overloading your musculoskeletal system. Changes that last often take weeks or months of gradually progressive loading, so conserving your physical and mental energy to last should be the goal. Additionally, the people who do what they enjoy doing tend to stick with changes in the long run. This might mean walking in an area that you like to walk in, playing pickleball with friends to allow you to enjoy socializing while being active, or moving during times of day that work best for you.