Most attempts at "being more active" fail not from lack of motivation but from being too dependent on motivation in the first place. A routine that only works on days you feel like it will eventually meet a day you don't, and that's usually where it ends. A sustainable active lifestyle is built more like a habit than a goal.
Attaching a short walk to an existing routine, like right after lunch or right before checking your phone in the morning, removes the decision-making that derails good intentions. The activity doesn't need a separate slot in your day if it's tied to something already happening automatically.
Rotating between a few different activities (walking, cycling, a weekend hike, a casual sport) tends to last longer than committing to one activity every single day. It reduces boredom and spreads physical demand across different muscle groups, lowering the odds of burnout or minor overuse injuries.
Counting how many days you moved at all - regardless of how hard - builds the habit faster than chasing personal records early on. Once consistency is in place, increasing intensity becomes a much easier next step than trying to build both at the same time.