# Making your health a priority > Start with a small amount of activity you can manage this week, plan when you'll do it, and protect that time kindly but firmly. Ask family and friends for one specific kind of support. The biggest health gains come from the first steps, and staying active over the years adds more. - Type: Guide - Topic: Getting Moving › Planning Your Week - Status: test content, not reviewed yet - URL: https://twikka.com/learn/making-your-health-a-priority - Updated: 2026-10-21 - **Any activity beats none:** start with a small amount and build up gradually [1]. - **Plan it in advance:** linking a walk to an everyday cue, such as finishing lunch, is one practical way to make it happen [2]. - **You can say no kindly:** declining a request isn't the same as rejecting the person [3]. - **Ask for one specific thing:** a walking partner or a weekly check-in is easier to give than general support [4]. - **Benefits build fastest at the start:** staying active over the years then keeps adding up [5]. ## How do you make health a priority? Start with a small amount of activity you can manage this week, decide in advance when you'll do it, and treat that time as a fixed appointment. Any activity is better than none, and the WHO advises starting with small amounts and building up how often, how hard and how long over time [1]. Goals that rank high in your life tend to be the ones people act on [6]. So give your activity time a clear place on your list, and notice which other things you'd normally let push it aside. A simple plan can help. Choose one everyday cue and decide in advance what you'll do when it happens: "When I finish lunch, then I will go for a 15-minute brisk walk" [2]. A plan like this can lift your steps and your confidence about exercising when you're short of time, but the extra steps may fade within a month [7]. Look at your plan again after a few weeks and adjust it if you need to. > **Try this:** Pick one cue in your day, such as finishing lunch, and plan a walk of whatever length you can manage straight after it. Write it in your diary like any other appointment. ## When is it okay to say no to protect your health time? It's okay to say no whenever you need that time for your health. Saying no doesn't make you selfish, and constantly saying yes can amount to self-neglect [3]. Before you answer a request, pause and ask yourself whether you have the capacity for it right now [3]. One meaningful yes is better than ten half-hearted ones [3]. Kind but firm wording can help: - "Thanks for asking, but I really need to recharge." - "I'd love to, but I can't commit this time." If you want to, offer an alternative, such as a walk together, instead of a flat refusal. If guilt shows up, remind yourself that you're declining the request, not the person. People who value you will usually understand [3]. Resting is a fair choice too, because it protects your energy [3]. But if you feel unusually tired and it doesn't pass, get it checked by a doctor rather than putting it down to being busy. ## How do you tell family and friends your health matters to you? Tell them plainly that it matters to you, and ask for one specific thing, such as a walking partner on one day a week or a weekly check-in. Support from friends and family is consistently linked with more leisure-time activity in older adults [8]. In adults aged 18–65, support from friends is linked with later activity, though the link is small and varies from one group to another [9]. It isn't clear whether support leads to more activity or the other way round, but asking costs little. The kinds of support that tend to be most useful are encouragement, company on a walk, and regular weekly check-ins that keep you accountable [4]. Dismissive comments are not helpful [4]. If you meet one, you can simply say it matters to you, and look for support elsewhere, such as a friend or a local walking group. Try leading with something enjoyable rather than health reasons. Suggest a walk and a coffee. Many older adults say that enjoyment and friendship matter more to them than the health benefits, and a friendly atmosphere and a welcoming person make a first visit easier [10]. If starting alone feels hard, join a group where someone welcomes newcomers. ## How do the benefits of consistent activity add up? Benefits build fastest at the start, then keep adding up over the years if you stay active. The biggest drop in risk of dying came from the first steps of activity, below the guideline amount, and extra activity above the guideline added less [5]. Doing more than the guideline is still fine. Over the years, people who were consistently or increasingly active had a lower risk of dying than those who weren't. Staying active gave greater benefit than having been active and then stopping [5]. Most guidelines suggest 150 minutes a week of moderate-to-vigorous activity, but benefits can come from simply becoming more active, without reaching a fixed weekly target first [13]. Step counts show the same pattern. The benefit of more daily steps levelled off at around 5000–7000 steps a day for death, heart disease, dementia and falls [11]. It levelled off at 6000–8000 steps a day for adults aged 60 and older, and 8000–10 000 for adults younger than 60. Lower counts can bring benefit too, especially for older adults [12]. Treat step numbers as a rough guide to your own change over time, not an exact target. These findings show links rather than proof, and counts from different devices can vary by 20% or more [12]. Aim to keep going rather than to do a lot at once. Count any extra movement as progress. ## When to check with a health professional If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first. For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. If you live with a long-term condition or disability, general advice may not fit you exactly, and some people need a specialist to help set the right type and amount of activity [1]. For a sore muscle or joint, or soreness a day or two later, ease off. See a doctor or other health professional if it persists or gets worse. Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe. ## Quick answers ### How much activity is enough if I'm just starting? Any amount counts. The WHO's goal for adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, but that's a direction, not an entry requirement. The biggest gains come when you move from doing nothing to doing some, so doing less than the goal isn't wasted. Build up from what you can manage now. ### Is it too late to start in my 60s or 70s? No. Starting to be active at any point in adulthood can bring health benefits. Older adults are encouraged to be as active as their abilities allow. Begin with small amounts, such as short walks, and build up how often, how hard and how long over time. ### How do I get back on track after missing a few weeks? Coming back after a break is normal, and you don't need to make up for lost time. Restart with a small amount you can manage this week rather than waiting for a perfect week. Pick a cue in your day, plan the walk, and build up again from there. ### How do I find time to be active when I'm busy? Activity of any length counts towards your weekly total, and there's no minimum of 10 minutes at a time. A few minutes of brisk walking between tasks adds up. Choose the slot in your day that's easiest to protect, and use that one regularly. ## Sources 1. Bull FC et al. (2020). World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955 2. Baretta D et al. (2025). HabitWalk: A micro-randomized trial to understand and promote habit formation in physical activity. Applied Psychology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11635918/ 3. Say yes to yourself. https://i.unisa.edu.au/contentassets/588a740d5c784c1ca89aa1231d4a659a/say-yes-to-yourself.pdf 4. Ingstrup MS et al. (2019). Women's experience with peer counselling and social support during a lifestyle intervention among women with a previous gestational diabetes pregnancy. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8114354/ 5. Yu R et al. (2025). Physical activity trajectories and accumulation over adulthood and their associations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12418563/ 6. Conner M et al. (2016). Impact of goal priority and goal conflict on the intention-health-behavior relationship: Tests on physical activity and other health behaviors. Health Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000340 7. Robinson SA et al. (2019). Time for change: using implementation intentions to promote physical activity in a randomised pilot trial. Psychology & Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6440859 8. Smith GL et al. (2017). The association between social support and physical activity in older adults: a systematic review. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0509-8 9. Scarapicchia T et al. (2016). Social support and physical activity participation among healthy adults: a systematic review of prospective studies. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984x.2016.1183222 10. Boulton ER et al. (2018). Multiple influences on participating in physical activity in older age: Developing a social ecological approach. Health Expectations. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5750764/ 11. Ding D et al. (2025). Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2468-2667(25)00164-1 12. Paluch AE et al. (2022). Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. The Lancet Public Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9289978/ 13. Warburton DER, Bredin SSD (2017). Health benefits of physical activity: a systematic review of current systematic reviews. Current Opinion in Cardiology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28708630 --- Source: Twikka (https://twikka.com/learn/making-your-health-a-priority). General information about physical activity, not medical advice.