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 tend to plan my day around what activity I'm going to do, I plan the timing of my other obligations so I can walk or swim etc, and the time I'll exercise is clearly scheduled in too.

i do a lot of active travel. Walk or cycle rather than drive/bus. Might be cycle combined with train journey. Shun driving for short journeys. Used to have little kids on tandem. My volunteering involves walking too (Cinnamon Trust).

Once I have a pool membership it would be a waste of money not to use it, hate wasting money. I'm lucky I get a great endorphin high from swimming... although it's cold which I dislike. Choose a convenient pool.

Once I had a kayak, would be waste of money not to use it... so then I planned outings.

I sleep better and can eat a lot more if I exercise, those are motives, too.

I don't have a tv. Reading, tiny bit of social media like MN and gaming are my sedentary time-sucks.

I would struggle to do home workouts or gym equipment or loud music classes. All unappealing to me. Gardening and sometimes DIY can involve lots of activity and achieve benefits for all in the household. Sometimes I volunteer for a nature-restoration charity (active outdoors).

I love the way exercise makes me feel. I love looking in the mirror at the tops of my arms and seeing definition. I love the buzz afterwards....as I write this I'm eating my breakfast and buzzing from a Caroline girvan workout in my garage home gym.

I take exercise bands and a travel yoga mat on holiday. I do weights or cardio or power walking before work every day at around 5am, then a walk in my lunch hour and yoga stretches before bed.

I'm 47 and I've been consistently exercising since I was at university.

Stick a TV above a treadmill at home. It has much more appeal when you can watch interesting things and it becomes enjoyable 'me time'.

I wish I could swim. I used to swim regularly. My skin doesn't like it anymore. 😥

I just treat it like everything else I don't want to do.
I don't want to go to work.
I don't want to clean my teeth.
I don't want to take my contract lenses out/ makeup off.

But I have to, so like I said before, I just try to put my mind outside and make my actual body do it. Doesn't always work, but again, doing it as part of a routine makes it automatically.

I've yet to find the physical activity that brings the same rewards a book and glass of wine bring. Whereas dd is the polar opposite. She genuinely loves her sport. We're just wired differently. It would kill her to read a book.

A combination of habit and reminding myself I'll feel great when it's done! There will be times where I have to force myself out of the house and really don't feel like it but I have never once regretted making the effort.

I go to classes. It’s not the cheapest but nothing else works for me as if there isn’t a fixed time, I will just put it off. Once I’ve signed up to the class it’s set in stone, I don’t want to lose the money so I will always go unless really ill.

Also I have nice workout gear ( Sweaty Betty via Vinted) - makes a good start!

Yes! When you don’t want to do it, tough!

look up all the classes in your gym and give them a try.
look up other things in your area. tag rugby, football, fencing, zumba, walks....
or book a pt once a month who motivates you to try new things you can then practice on your own.

my joints started squeaking. and I found exercise is the cure for that. so I exercise. it's sometimes boring but listening to podcasts helps.

The first answer from @IwasatClaines nailed it. Set time. Always. Best to just get up and do it. Or do something. It is perfectly possible to do regular exercise in your home or once out of the door almost every day.

That does not need to be all though. But is is the anchor.

Then add in whatever else you do, be it gym, sport, whatever. You can guarantee that will be skipped more than the just get up and do it bit.

This is exactly why I love mumsnet. All responses are really thoughtful and made me reflect on what’s within my own gift to do and how I am hindering myself with my attitude. There’s so much valuable advice to take from here. I return home Sunday from holiday and have just booked a couple of gym classes for next week.

When I don’t feel like doing exercise I always ask myself this question.

How am I going to feel about myself after that hour has gone? So, am I going to feel crappy because I bailed out, or am I going to feel great that I’ve done something for ME, and I’m on a high. That gets me there.

If you want to age well, you have to eat well and exercise. My 90-year old dad is very fit and active. He’s strong as an ox and plays lots of sport whereas my younger parents-in-law are constantly sick and inactive. He is a great inspiration to me.

The bottom line is, if you want to look good and be fit and healthy, it takes work. I’ve always been quite fit, but last Sept I made the decision to lose weight and get fit and toned at 55. It was now or never.

A year later I’m 2 sizes down and very toned, wearing a bikini for the first time in 35 years.

I love running - especially with friends.
I dont mind short runs on my own but I find 10+ miles difficult on my own.

However I have a coach who sets a programme for me (running and strength) and knowing they will see that I haven't completed a session is a good motivator! I knew her as a friend first and foremost, so if i haven't run for a few days, she'll check if im OK rather anything strict, but there's only so many times im willing to say I was too tired/cba (obviously life gets in the way and occassionally I miss a session) . At the end of the day im paying because I want to improve so it makes no sense not to do the programme.

oct yes! Since I hit my 50's I've really struggled with being stuck in one gym classroom, standing in the same spot working out. It almost kills me when I have to do a class like it now. I had to give up Body Pump with it's shitty repetitive music week after week.
Give me a circuit class that flows. Or even better, a tough indoor / outdoor circuit class with some modern pop (which I have actually found 🫶). Basically, I like being distracted by clouds and birds so it goes quicker.

I’ve had a consistent gym (weightlifting) routine for about 13 years now. What keeps me going over the long term is not discipline or motivation, it’s routine.

I watch My 600lb Life while on my Peloton bike. That’s a good motivator! 😉

It’s more about having a routine than discipline for me.

I’ve thought a bit more about it. I went from doing zero - and I mean zero - exercise right up to my forties, to now, at 51, doing cardio and strength training three times a week without fail, plus a weekly yoga class, outdoor swimming all summer, and a long walk every single day. I have a few 5 and 10k runs under my belt too, though I do less running these days (dodgy knee).

It started when I bought a FitBit. I was shocked at how little I actually moved: something like 2k steps a day. That put me into competition with myself - how do I improve on this?

Then after a few months I was out with my dog and I just randomly thought - could I run to the next lamppost? And I could, but it was tough. So that was the next challenge. I downloaded C25K, and although I never loved running, it became that competition with myself, and I did love the fact that after a lifetime of being unfit, I suddenly had medals with 5k and 10k on them.

Then my parents got really infirm, and it scared me, so I thought it was time to do something about my strength. I engaged a PT, and I see her once a week, and do two sessions at home. I have weights, resistance bands and an exercise bike, and my sessions include a mix of cardio and strength training.

It’s been around four years now, and it’s such a part of my everyday life that not exercising would be like not brushing my teeth. The niggling guilt and anxiety if I didn’t do it wouldn’t be worth it.

Some days it’s hard to pull on the Lycra, but it’s hard not to be able to run upstairs or fit into your clothes, or rely on people to put you to bed when you’re old. You just have to choose your hard.

Because my back is shite and I need to strengthen my core after 2 pregnancies & c sections.

That's the bit about running i like: seeing things. I need mental stimulation too. Winter evenings are shit because I have to stick to housing estates and it's boring.

If i could design a gym class, I'd make it more fun. Obstacle course, climbing wall, swings, ropes to climb, poles to slide down. Not sure how to make weights fun though. Having to lift things to find treasure? No star jumps or bouncing, ever.

I don’t enjoy exercise and don’t feel better afterwards (don’t feel worse either!). I do it because I know it’s necessary for I’m firmly in the discipline rather than enjoyment camp

I go to the gym 3 x a week and do a mix of cardio, weights, core and balance. I do these because I know they are necessary to live a healthy life. I want to enjoy my
older years, to be able to travel and (hopefully) run around after grandchildren, so I do it. I usually do it in the mornings because then it’s done and out of the way

Find something you enjoy

Book it in your calendar

Make it a habit

I don't always want to go but love the healthy feeling afterwards

If it’s part of your routine you’ll do it. I cycle a lot, and if the options are “cycle, or don’t go to work” you do cycle! And if you are already in gym stuff and walking past the gym after doing school drop off, again it is easy to go in and do a workout.

Whereas if the options are “get changed and go for a run, or carry on sitting on the sofa after dinner” then I don’t run…

I think “find something you enjoy” may be unrealistic, I would alter it to “find something you don’t hate”.

Because I love it. I have many many failed gym memberships. I find running machines, or doing classes or Pilates tedious and dull. But give me some heavy weights to lift and I can’t get enough. So find the thing you enjoy and do that.

Now I compete in powerlifting, so I have goals, so if I’m ever doing anything that I’m finding really tough, I remember it means more kg on the platform. And that motivates me.

I know people bang on about motivation being fleeting and discipline being needed. But that’s not my experience at all. I am always motivated. But for this. Not for all exercise at all.