How to get started.

A lack of time or energy is oftentimes seen as an obstacle to achieving fitness results. But being more healthy and physically fit is not an “all-or-nothing” game. Doing something, no matter how small the effort, is almost always better than doing nothing.
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Let’s take the example of protein’s effects on fat loss. Research shows that having a relatively high-protein diet helps you lose fat and maintain muscle more effectively while in a calorie deficit [1, 2]. But if for some reason you struggle with getting enough protein in a day, you can still achieve good fat loss results on a low- to moderate-protein protein diet if you just control your calorie intake.
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The same holds true with training. If you can’t train 3-5x per week, that does not mean your training efforts are wasted. There is research showing beginner trainees can gain strength while training just 2x per week [3]. So tailor your fitness based on your current capabilities. You want to prevent giving up completely.
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There’s a popular saying that goes: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Basically, sometimes it is better to stick with what you have/can do instead of trying to do more and potentially ending up with nothing. As you gain momentum in your fitness journey, you can always intensify things to challenge yourself more.
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References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258944/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4478942/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8267700