How are you so disciplined?

People often ask me how I stay disciplined and motivated with my own practice and workouts. Especially since I often work out alone at my house. It’s not always easy, but I think I’ve figured out how I’ve been able to stay so consistent.

To provide some background, years ago I got really into group fitness. I was incredibly consistent for those workouts. It wasn’t always about showing up for the workouts. It was usually about showing up for the community that had been created within that fitness space.

After some time, I decided to set some personal goals. I started doing triathlons and registered for 10k, 10 mile and half marathon races. I’m a very goal-oriented person. Working towards a race or specific finish time is an easy way for me to consistently show up for my workouts.

But what happens when your favorite group fitness gym closes? And what do you do when there’s no races on the calendar? It’s easy for motivation and discipline to slide away.

In 2023 I started working out quite consistently from my home gym. No coach. No fitness friends to keep me company. Just my creepy basement with a treadmill, squat rack, free weights, kettlebells, and a simple program that I created for myself.

Here’s four tips on how I have been able to stay consistent with my workouts:

1. It’s Not About Aesthetics

There was definitely a time when I wanted to work out in order to look a certain way. I was unhappy with the size of my thighs or I wanted to slim down my waist. The motivation to look a certain way didn’t exactly lead to healthy habits. I was sporadic with my workouts and started teetering into disordered eating. It just wasn’t a sustainable motivation tactic.

Now, when I work out, there’s no desired physique that I’m going for. I don’t measure or weigh myself. Sure, my body shape changes depending on my workouts, but my motivation is no longer about trying to look a certain way.

2. Food Consumed ≠ Exercise Required

I used to use exercise as punishment for the food I consumed.

Oh no! I had a slice of cake. Guess I’ll have to run 5 miles tomorrow.

The food you consume does not have to be vilified. If you are looking to lose weight, there’s smart and sustainable diets that might help you reach your goals. However, your primary drive to exercise should not be to burn off the food you consume.

If there is any correlation between food consumption and exercise, consider consuming food that supports your workouts and everyday activities. For instance, if I’m training for a distance run, I need to intentionally increase my carbohydrate consumption to prepare my body and mind for my training. If I’m focusing more on strength training and progressive overload, I typically increase my protein intake so that my muscles can repair themselves in an efficient manner.

3. Consider Future You

As I creep toward the glorious age of 40, I’m becoming more and more aware of my aging body. Of course my body doesn’t necessarily move how it did when I was in my 20s. I definitely don’t recover as quickly as I did when I was in high school. But I never want my age to hinder how I move my body.

When I work out I often consider future me.

I consistently train deep barbell back squats to keep my knees strong so that I can squat down and pick things up when in my 60s and 70s. I focus on various rowing and pulling movement patterns like barbell rows or pull-ups so that I can manage my 50 pound dogs when they feel the need to pull on their leashes. My programming always features pushing movements like push-ups or bench presses so that I can reliably push myself up from off the floor.

I work on physical strength now so that I can continue to be strong as I age. I want strong muscles, strong bones, and a strong mind not just now, but in the distant future.

4. Have a Plan

As much as I enjoy experimenting with new movement patterns or lifts when I’m in my home gym, sporadic or unplanned workouts don’t necessarily lead to progress. Progress and change occur with a smart, consistent plan.

Right now, I do at least four strength training sessions a week. Two days are lower body focused and the other two days are upper body focused. On each day I usually only perform two or three movement patterns and that is it. There’s no question as to what I’ll be working on when I step into my gym. I have a plan and I stick to it. Of course the plan is adapted if I have low energy or if I’m limited on time.

When I’m training for a race, I also have a very specific plan I follow to ensure I’m not pushing my body too far, too quickly. Some days it’s nice to just go out for a run without targets or expectations, but race training requires a smart, well-organized plan.

A lot of folks tell me they have a gym membership but they never use it. They walk into the gym and feel paralyzed by all the equipment and options. This is where a plan helps. You find your equipment and know exactly what you’re doing.

Working with a trainer is a great place to start. Your trainer is there to tell you exactly what to do at each session and they help adapt your plan so that you can progress in an intentional way over time. Your trainer can also provide you with written programs that you can then use when you’re on your own in the gym.

So there you have it. My four keys to consistency. Easy, yes?

Wrong.

I think it’s important to point out that my occupation and personal hobbies involve movement and exercise. If I could, I would work out all day! I love it that much. And that is not the case for everyone. Many do not enjoy working out. Many are stretched thin for time and consistently exercising just isn’t in the cards.

If you are interested in working out consistently, start small and short. Definitely go into it with a plan and give yourself 10 or 15 minutes once or twice week to go through very simple exercises. Maybe with time you can increase the length of your workouts, or you might be able to add on an additional day of working out.

Never forget that everyone started somewhere.