If you consistently exercise, where does your “discipline” come from?

[LoudSnoringDog]

I am on yet another holiday where I hate the photos as look fat, frumpy and unhealthy. I have in my mind that I am determined to use my gym membership when I return. I recall someone on here once writing “you can have all the motivation to exercise but it’s worth nothing if you have no discipline “
so…. I’m motivated but lack the discipline.
If you find that you can consistently get up off your backside to exercise, what’s your key message to yourself to keep your discipline? I’m trying to use these messages to keep me in check!

I do a full body weights workout three times a week. Other than that it’s walking the dog and I have an active job. I started because I hit my fifties and didn’t want to end up unable to carry my own suitcases like my Mil, and with dodgy legs like my my mum. I kept it up as I love the feeling of being stronger. I can only do it first thing in the morning. I’m lucky that we have a lot t of equipment at home. I know I’d be unlikely to carry on if I was having to go to the gym. I can wear whatever I like and I’m done in an hour. I make sure to look at my schedule for each week and put it on the calendar when I’m planning to work out. If I have an early start at work for example that won’t work for me. It’s kept me consistent.

I put my exercise dates into my phone calendar along with all other events. Then I just treat it like a job. If it’s in the calendar it’s a non negotiable. I also have a rule that if I absolutely have to miss a session I can only miss one. Can’t do two in a row for example.
For me, getting up and getting it done first thing works. Less time to procrastinate.
Some days it’s a big battle with my head, some days it’s not, however I 99% of the time feel better having got it done. Treating it exactly like work and having the same attitude to it (some days the thought of going to work is tough but you just have to get it done) works for me.

As a woman who is aging every day, I know I need to do 3 things to be as fit as I can for my old age.
1 lift weights to work against muscle loss and give me arm strength.
2 do something to get me leg strength, so for me it’s spinning, walking and squats/lunges.
3 something for balance to prevent falls, so yoga/pilates.
Its about being pro active and doing it for older me.

Sometimes I'm tempted to skip out on exercise because I feel the pressure of other things that call to me (like housework or other perceived obligations). Take the last day. I took the kids out for several hours, did some food prep including making dinner so it's ready to go, did some other things then felt tempted to go put some washing on and change my bed. I wanted to meet my personal exercise goal too but was pulled towards obligation. I'm making it a practice to say, "No. I am putting myself first." I'm pretty bad at that, so it's something I'm consciously doing. So that's what I did, put myself first. Got on the treadmill for an hour, listened to my audio book while doing it, and got it done. Then sat down and had a tea and only then put on washing and changed my bed. Yes, I might get one less load of washing done today but it will get done. This only works with slightly older children that don't need constant supervision.

I am currently in bed thinking I have to get up to go for a swim. I really really don't feel like it but what will propel me out of bed is focusing on how I will feel afterwards (relaxed). One thing I like about swimming is focusing on techniques. I watch YouTube videos of people helping to improve techniques and then I try it in the pool. The other thing I enjoy is having little races with other swimmers (they are unaware) to see if I can win. It's particularly satisfying when they are young and fit looking.

I also agree with people who say if you don't feel like it, tell yourself you can quit in 5 mins. It's enough to persuade yourself to get out there and start and you might do more than you planned.

I also get strong guilt feelings if I don't go that's a motivator too.

This is me. Even though I have been really fit at various points, I never love exercising and never experience this so called endorphin high. Perhaps some people don’t. Nonetheless I find ways to keep going. This is what I do currently.

I regularly volunteer at a warehouse where I need to lift heavy things.

I have transformed my garden and grow veg, fruit and flowers.

I walk or use an electric bike for local journeys.

I am in a sports team, playing weekly, and if I don’t go, I let everyone down, so I go.

My DD is learning to play golf so I go along with her for support sometimes.

For me exercise has to serve a practical purpose such as getting me somewhere otherwise I don't stick to it. I cycle to work, I stick to it because I know it is the only way I will make nursery pick up on time.

Habit - build it into your life and it becomes part of your routine. Also find what you enjoy.

I do a full shower at the gym. I have a quick shower every morning at home but wash my hair, shave and scrub after a swim, sauna and jacuzzi. Also a full body moisturise and blow dry at the gym. It definitely makes me want to go 3-4 times a week for that pamper.

I also have some tv shows downloaded onto my phone that I watch on the treadmill, bike and cross trainer. Makes the time fly past.

For me it's knowing I'll feel better for going to the gym.
I recommend doing a number of sessions with a PT because it will make you keep going and pushing yourself. Hopefully by the time you stop having a PT you'll have started to see/feel the benefits of exercise and it will make you want to keep going.
I also recommend headphones and podcasts. Seeing it as my time to go and be on my own, listening to a good podcast makes it more enjoyable.
Also, find the thing that works for you. Maybe that's swimming or running or a team sport.

I work out x3 per week.

1. find what you love and stick to it. I simply can’t do what I don’t enjoy. I swim and do weights. Sometimes throw in some cycling.
2. plan it. I write down the day/time/style of workout in advance so those decisions are no longer holding me back. And I stick to it.
3. if you skip a day, don’t give up. Come back and continue. Consistency is key.

its a rule - if exercise is in the diary I have to start it

if you can book a class it’s easier
or set the alarm for 730 for exercise

This is going to sound a bit twee but for me I’m a slightly older mum and I don’t want to be decrepit before I need to be. So my child is my motivation.

I discovered recently that the research now shows that being fit is significantly more important than weight for cutting risk of heart and premature death. I’m not skinny (just under top end healthy BMI) but my VO2 max is great for my age.

These tips are all well and good but what if there’s nothing i love? What if looking good is not a strong enough

can anyone suggest anything more concrete?

I manage somewhere between 2 and 4 trips to the gym a week and have done for about 6 years now. I also try to walk as many places as possible locally.

Probably not very useful to you but my discipline comes from being very hypermobile in my upper body and if I don’t lift weights a couple of times a week I’m in agony and get referred headaches…and the parking near my house has gotten really shit recently so I don’t like moving my car unnecessarily

I've built it up slowly. I got to the ripe old age of 57 before I found a routine that suited me and I actually enjoy.
I was looking for exercise to help me lose weight so I started going for longish walks (5 miles +) last autumn, combined with a Walk At Home youtube session three times a week early in the morning.
We then started going for an early-morning walk every day and added an after-dinner walk when the evenings lightened. We now walk around 5 miles a day, every day at least. At weekends, we tend to drop the morning and evening walk on at least one day and try to get out for a longer walk.
By March/April, my fitness levels were much better and my legs are pretty toned (for the first time in my life!) so j decided to drop the Walk At Home sessions and concentrate on weights workouts fir my abs and arms. I did these three times a week.
What has been revolutionary to me was reading about The 5am Club, which advocates really early rising. Amazingly, I find this easy as I was waking early anyway then going back to sleep. I find getting up at 5am much easier than 7am (really) and I now do abs and arms sessions alternatively every single day. I even took my weights on holiday, it's become part of my routine.
The above is something I never, ever thought i would write

I've built it up slowly. I got to the ripe old age of 57 before I found a routine that suited me and I actually enjoy.
I was looking for exercise to help me lose weight so I started going for longish walks (5 miles +) last autumn, combined with a Walk At Home youtube session three times a week early in the morning.
We then started going for an early-morning walk every day and added an after-dinner walk when the evenings lightened. We now walk around 5 miles a day, every day at least. At weekends, we tend to drop the morning and evening walk on at least one day and try to get out for a longer walk.
By March/April, my fitness levels were much better and my legs are pretty toned (for the first time in my life!) so j decided to drop the Walk At Home sessions and concentrate on weights workouts fir my abs and arms. I did these three times a week.
What has been revolutionary to me was reading about The 5am Club, which advocates really early rising. Amazingly, I find this easy as I was waking early anyway then going back to sleep. I find getting up at 5am much easier than 7am (really) and I now do abs and arms sessions alternatively every single day. I even took my weights on holiday, it's become part of my routine.
The above is something I never, ever thought i would write

I’ve run 5 miles, 3 times a week for nearly 30 years (apart from the pregnancy and early baby months). I wouldn’t say I enjoy running particularly, but I enjoy the feeling of satisfaction afterwards. And I’ve had to watch my weight since my teens.

Also, as a previous poster said, I’m an older mum, having had my kids at age 37 and 41, so if I’m going to be able to play with my future grandchildren I need to stay fit.

I think I could easily have given up any time in the first couple of years, but after that it became such a habit, I’d be scared of not doing it. These days, if I can’t run (eg if I’m ill, or there’s something else happening on one of my running days) I get a bit panicky, worried that I’ll lose the habit and never get it back.

So that’s my advice - force yourself to do something for long enough that you actually start to fear not being able to do it!

It helps I'm a morning person so I can get my exercise done before the family wakes up. I don't always enjoy exercising but I never regret it. Just turn your brain off and get it done. Tomorrow's you will thank you for it.

Routine/habit. Monday is yoga class, Wednesday is aquafit class. Friday is swimming.

It has to be something you don't hate, and it has to fit on with the rest of your life. I pay for classes, because thst means I've committed to go, so I'll be letting others down if I don't, and I'm not that well off that I could justify the price if I wasn't using it.

I was exactly the same a few years ago, loads of motivation but zero discipline, so every time I’d try to get fit I’d give up after a few weeks 😂. What changed everything for me was building a routine I could actually stick with.
I’ve now been working out 4–5 times a week, every week, for over a year. The trick was setting a consistent time. Because of health issues (I’ve got POTS), I can’t work out first thing, I need breakfast and meds to get my heart rate stable, so I made 10–11am my workout slot. Once it became a habit, I didn’t have to rely on willpower anymore.
I usually do 20 minutes of cardio and then 20–30 minutes of weights or Pilates (I switch it up). The biggest thing I learned was you have to actually enjoy the exercises you choose, otherwise you just won’t keep it up. I started with walking workouts, tried the exercise bike (but struggled), and then did a 3-month Apple Fitness trial. That was a game-changer! I sampled everything and found what I loved. Now my mix is mostly dance and kickboxing, with the occasional row or cycle thrown in.
They say it takes about 3 months of consistency to build a real routine, and I found that to be true. A year in, I’m doing more than I ever thought I could but it all started with just showing up, even on days I didn’t feel like it. Some weekdays I’ll add a 20-minute walk after, and since I WFH, my schedule makes that easier. I should say for me I like working out alone so classes and gyms aren’t my thing.
If you’re starting out, honestly the key is to keep going. Don’t wait to feel motivated build a routine you actually enjoy.

• I like to get out into the open air & be in nature
• I don’t want to get fat
• I want a strong healthy body

Consider getting a personal trainer, even if just for a few months. Paying in advance = commitment and much more likely to show up! Start adding in some days at the gym by yourself, using your newly found gym skills and build on it.

I used to hate exercise, now I go to the gym 6 x a week and love it. I didn't enjoy having a trainer as she pushed me (obviously!) and it was bloody hard, but it gave me so much confidence in being able to go to the gym and know what I was doing.

I go straight after work and love that hour of peace before I get home to mayhem!! Find a time that works for you, find exercise you can really enjoy and enjoy the feeling of your body gaining muscle.

*edited to add, after a year of going to the gym most days, I still can't run! Just don't have the stamina, or the ability to push through the boredom. You just need to find the things you do enjoy doing!

I usually go and exercise first thing in the morning, before I can talk myself out of it. Improving my health was my main motivation and now that the habit has formed, it’s much easier to stay consistent.

Finding something you enjoy enough to keep doing it is important. I’ve always hated going to a regular gym and could never stick to it. I also hate running. Now I go to coach-led classes and enjoy these so much more. Even though it’s torture at the time! It’s nice and varied and I can get it done before I need to get the kids up for school.

Look at the OP's first sentence. To me the words used point fairly clearly towards a weight loss intention.

To answer the question: there's a reason why you have a gym membership that you don't use and I think you need to examine what that is. Is it the case that you don't enjoy getting yourself out of the house but you enjoy it when you are there? If so, maybe you might benefit from a friend or family providing accountability? Or maybe scheduling it in your diary like a meeting, then the night before putting all of your gym kit out so that you don't have to go hunting for it, make it really easy. Or maybe you need to look at your pre and post gym fuelling? I know when I don't get that right I don't feel great at the gym.

But if you don't enjoy it when you get there I agree with those who have said to find something else. You could cancel the membership and look into a personal trainer who comes to your house? I know PTs get a bad reputation as being like army commanders but if you want someone who is going to guide you rather than shout at you it's definitely possible to find that. Or maybe an exercise class where there's a social focus? There's loads out there, there's bound to be something that appeals to you.

For me when I decided I wanted to become healthier I started making small changes, both to my diet and to my exercise routine. Even adding a 10 minute walk and having two chocolate biscuits instead of four was a step towards my goal. Because I didn't make a load of changes at once I was able to continuously adapt and avoid the discomfort of big changes. It's easy for me to say three years later but as the changes mounted up it became addictive because I could see it was working and I knew that getting myself out the door for a run was helping to keep me in this healthy state.