I took up running a few years back and it was one of the best things I could have done for myself. I did it for just the cardio exercise, but it has done wonder

I took up running a few years back and it was one of the best things I could have done for myself. I did it for just the cardio exercise, but it has done wonders for both my mental and physical health. My immune system improved. I used to be prone to catching colds, but now that is much more rare. I also don't get tired as easily. I'm in much better shape, and the exercise forced me to eat better (not consciously, but I eat much healthier because that's what my body prefers). But really, I think the biggest benefit is the mental side. If you can stay in your own head for 30-60 minutes at a time, it's a great way to work out problems. I solve most of my problems at work while I'm running. Coding is always easier when you have had time to think through the entire plan. I definitely see a difference pre/post run. My days seem better when I start them with a run (as opposed to running later in the day or at night). My rules are simple (got them from a friend): 1) run at least one mile a day - every day. A theme from many of the comments here has been that a small amount of work consistently done is a better approach. I completely agree. So far, I've been at this for almost 1000 days. I've also gone from 3 miles to marathons, which is another beast entirely. Streaks are a deceptive motivator with a surprising amount of inertia. For me, it's the fear of breaking a streak that is the motivator. But, when you don't have the ability to push your workout off to the next day, it's somehow easier to do. And if you're already running 1 mile, adding another one is also easier. And then pretty soon, you've moved from 1-2 miles/day to 3-4 miles/day. The key thing is to just start. Like you, I'm really anxious about what happens if I get injured, but afterwards, I'll probably just start over at day one.