Paul - 10-minute motivations

“You don’t have to be active for hours on end, it only needs to be little bursts at a time, that’s how I started and I built it up gradually.”

By Paul, 40, from Old Swan

At 20 stones, and with a two-year-old to run around after, Paul realised he needed to get more active.

“I knew I had to do something so I started with walking.  Then a friend suggested I should go to the gym too, to avoid getting bored, so I added that in and it kickstarted my journey to becoming more physically active.”

In the six years since he started, he’s tried to push himself and set himself a new challenge each year and he’s happier and more fulfilled as a result, feeling less tired and having more confidence.

With a busy family life and full-time job, Paul tries to fill gaps in his day with exercise, even if it’s just 10 or 15 minutes at a time, going for a walk in his lunch break, walking to work or taking his son to a boxing session after school.

“People say they’re so busy but there’s always time in the day and then you either choose to sit down and watch TV or you choose to use that 15 minutes to do some exercise instead - although there’s no reason why you couldn’t do a routine while you watch Corrie!

Paul’s Advice:

“It’s important to start small but challenge yourself. A minute is better than no minutes, 10 minutes is better than a minute, so set yourself those small targets because then you have that success that breeds success.”