If you have ever watched The Biggest Loser, you might be under the impression that ‘freight-train-full-bore til you’re puking in the grass’ is the only way to exercise or to lose weight. Nope. Here’s why starting small works:

1. Because it’s easier. It isn’t so intimidating. Go for a ten minute walk vs run for 40 minutes – which are you more likely to actually do? And if ten minutes is too much, make it five. Or two. Or even just put on your shoes. Seriously.
2. It’s repeatable. If it wasn’t so bad when you did it the first time, aren’t you more likely to do it again? And isn’t doing it again (and again) the whole point?
3. We all need to feel capable, like we’re achieving something. Like we’re not losers! Starting small gives you a little taste of achievement. You did it! And that’s the beginning of a positive cycle. Do a bit and feel good, so do a bit more, and feel good…
4. If you are starting small you are less likely to be so totally put off that you don’t pay attention to why you don’t wanna (run 40 minutes? of course I don’t want to!), or why you aren’t doing it. So you have more room to see any of the stumbling blocks or barriers heading your way that might have led to ‘failure’ in the past, and think of a way to work around them.
5. You don’t have to keep it small. It’s not set in stone. Work your way up slowly, building that sense of accomplishment as you go. It’s about making a space for being active in your day. You can always make the space a bit bigger later.
6. According to Charles Duhigg, in his fantastic book The Power of Habit,
   

   When people start habitually exercising, even as infrequently as once a week, they start changing other, unrelated patterns in their lives, often unknowingly. Typically, people who exercise start eating better and becoming more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed. It’s not completely clear why. But for many people, exercise is a keystone habit that triggers widespread change. ‘Exercise spills over,’ said James Prochaska, a University of Rhode Island researcher. ‘There’s something about it that makes other good habits easier.’ Keystone habits offer what is known within academic literature as ‘small wins’. They help other habits to flourish by creating new structures, and they establish cultures where change becomes contagious.

Small wins help other good habits to flourish, and they help change become contagious! Why wouldn’t you want to get a piece of that??

Let me know what you think – does starting small appeal to you? What could you start small with?