On Gym Discipline
Nudge yourself towards consistency
Going to the gym, or doing any form of exercise for that matter, is something we all know we should be doing, but somehow always seem to put off. I'm no different.
It's time-consuming, requires energy, and the rewards are not immediate but only observed after longer periods of time. This has made it very difficult for me to consistently go to the gym throughout my life, the key word here being consistently.
I have my good stretches, where I will do pretty well for half a year or so, but then I’ll cave in and stop again. Something always seems to come in between: going on an exchange abroad, starting my first full time job, and so on. These events would cause my "rhythm" to completely change, and I would stop going for months or years.
The problem: once you stop going, it's much harder to get back into this rhythm of going, or flow. The converse is also true: once you're in the flow, it's much easier to keep going. This is a problem we experience with any habit. The question then becomes: if we want to keep going consistently, what can we do to prevent ourselves from leaving this state of flow?
Many books have been written about building habits. Instead of going over those general principles, I would like to share what I’ve specifically been doing to keep myself going to the gym consistently for the past half year.
In short, it basically comes down to "just going". As this is easier said than done, I want to share what has helped get into this state of mind of "just going":
Don’t give laziness a chance
Have a program
Visualize the training’s exercises beforehand
Acknowledge inner resistance
Don’t Give Laziness a Chance
Make it harder for yourself to be lazy. In my case, I’ve noticed that the later in the day it gets, the less likely I am to go. If I have dinner first and it's already a bit later in the evening, my motivation for going drops significantly.
The simplest remedy for me is therefore to go immediately after finishing work, not allowing any delay. The moment I close my laptop (when working at home) or come home from the office, I immediately pack my sports gear and go. My lazy side doesn’t even have the time to start kicking in. When I leave my house, I know I’ve already won! It’s a great feeling.
Have a Program
A lifting program saves you from the hassle of figuring out which exercises to do, so you can use that mental energy to motivate yourself instead. Don't spend too much time choosing a program (I’ve definitely been guilty of this in the past). Any program that you can stick with will do. Consistency always wins.
If you’re curious, I’m currently doing GZCLP, which I really enjoy,
Visualize Training Exercises Beforehand
Visualizing the specific exercises I'll be doing during that day's training session helps me a lot (another perk of having a program). For instance, my program might say I need to do 3 sets of 10 repetitions of 80 kg squats that day. Just thinking of doing that specific exercise makes me more likely to actually go that day.
Before I actively think about it, the training session feels more "abstract". Afterwards, it becomes more clear and concrete. I look forward to doing the exercise more, which increases the chances of me actually going to the gym that day. It also works when thinking a day or two days ahead.
Acknowledge Inner Resistance
Acknowledge the thoughts that push you towards not going. Let's say I said to myself I want to go to the gym today. I’ve finished work and it's 6 pm, which is just a little bit later than I would like to go (we have dinner pretty early here in the Netherlands, usually somewhere between 6-7pm). Then sometimes there’s this voice in the back of my head telling me: “No, it's already late. If you go, you'll be home late. You'll have to have dinner late and your day will already be over.” These thoughts make me less inclined to leave the comfort of my home.
Being conscious of these thoughts, to recognize them and acknowledge that they exist, has helped me more easily overcome them. Just by knowing they’re there. Actively choosing to overcome this voice does take some mental energy, but I think it's something that we can become better at over time.
These are all things that have helped me to, at least for now, keep going, and I hope I will keep going for the foreseeable future. Keep you posted!
What is your strategy for staying consistent? How do you keep yourself healthy and keep yourself doing those things that you know you should be doing? I’m curious to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for sharing your methods Omar. Getting going without hesitation is definitely something good. I aim to do the most important thing of the day first thing in the morning. That way, its even less likely it can be forgotten or something take its place. What i find hardest is then life rythme changes significantly, such as for holidays or other life events, like you said. Then really adaptation is needed to make a new plan to excersice.