After a long day in the office and then a commute home in traffic, the last thing you want to do is go for a jog or to the gym for a cardio workout. But getting motivated is easier than you think with this guide.

1. Have a goal: If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there? Be very specific: exactly how much body fat do you want to lose? Wanting to be a bit more toned doesn’t really mean anything, you can’t measure it and it won’t keep you going when things get tough…

2. Find an emotional reason to make changes: Everyone knows they should be more active, but very few of us are active enough. If your current lifestyle could significantly shorten your life expectancy, then think of all the things you’d miss if you passed away too soon, such as watching your kids grow up.

3. Take responsibility for the position you’re in right now: There are very few people who can honestly blame a medical condition for bad health. It’s a tough thing to do, but if you take ownership for getting yourself into this position, then you give yourself the power to change.

4. Put your training times in your diary: We all have commitments in work and life and we find time for them so make exercise a commitment and start working around it. Treat your workouts like a meeting with your boss; not something you can ignore.

5. Find something active you like doing and do that: If you enjoy an activity, you are much more likely to continue doing it.