Fierce Fitness: Self-Discipline and Exercise

There are lots of successful people in the world who have achieved their goals, and I believe many of you have also achieved your goals but don’t give yourself credit for or even think about them. If this is not you, then you may have a friend who has just been promoted at work, or a gym buddy who is in great shape after all the hard work they have put in.

You see what is often less visible, is the hard work behind their success.

Staying true to your healthy eating plan, taking the right supplements for your body and working out, takes a considerable amount of effort and ability called self-discipline. That is the key to success for many. If you master this, then any time you start, is a turning point to get your goals right and become self-disciplined.

Personally, self-discipline is not something you wake up with, it takes hard work.

Self-discipline is like any skill. It needs to be practised. Whilst some people might be naturally good at self-discipline, the majority have to work at it before they become good at it.

What is self-discipline?

It is the ability to control our behaviour so that we can avoid temptation and achieve our set goals.
It is the ability to postpone and withstand undesirable effects.
It is a limited source of motivation that can be depleted.
It is being able to resist temptations and focus on what is important.
It is being able to exert control over one’s behaviour, and to do this consistently and reliably over time.

Is this you?

Are you trying to build self-discipline in your own life in the areas of healthy eating, exercise, meditation or maybe writing or practicing playing the guitar? You need to remember that you might be doing this for physical health reasons, or you want to try and learn something new that brings pleasure in your life. I believe you can learn self-discipline and it requires training daily. You will benefit in many ways and it will help you take a more rational approach to things, rather than an emotional one. It will ultimately give you back your power to overcome resistance and accomplish your goals.

“We all have dreams but to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful amount of determination, dedication, effort, and self-discipline” – Jesse Owens American athlete and four-time Olympian winner

Exercise:

Many of us think self-discipline is always being at the gym/studio or doing some sort of marathon. Really, it can be also the opposite. Let’s look at this a bit closer.

Starting The Day: Starting the day with a cold shower is something that requires a lot of self-discipline. It is a simple behaviour
that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. It may not sound ideal, especially on a cold winter’s day, but it does wonders for your body.

Meditation: This is a very powerful tool that can help you improve your mental, physical and emotional health. I get it, sitting
still for a while, keeping your mind still and preventing it from wandering requires self-control. Honestly, meditation can be a great exercise for anyone who wants to increase their self-discipline.

Sleep: When you get enough sleep, it improves your focus, your mood and your overall health. Did you know that indirectly, sleep assists you when you are trying to increase your self-discipline?

Exercise: My favourite one. Exercising on a regular basis is a great way to improve your self-discipline. It will teach you how
to focus on a task at hand, and by doing so, you learn to preserve and accomplish your goals.

Self-discipline is so important in exercise, as it is required to achieve optimal health. It is also needed when breaking a habit like smoking or rebalancing after health issues. Those who exercise regularly demonstrate higher levels of self-esteem and maintain a sense of self-discipline.

From my own personal experiences, I know that being self-disciplined at times won’t make you popular with your friends. Why? For example, some of my friends don’t understand why I have done a number of challenges or why I constantly train and push myself. But that is ok too. You need to remember you are your own competition and your goals are unique only to you.

Challenges with self-discipline:

As a coach, I see many people come up against challenges with self-discipline daily. Let me give you an example: One of my clients was suffering from health-related issues, overweight and desperate to get back into shape. Whilst he had signed up to go to a gym, he was having trouble following through. You see, the lack of discipline with exercise was spilling into all areas of his life and he was feeling depleted.

Some easy-to-remember strategies to build & maintain self-discipline:

Get motivated – the reason and underlying drive behind why you are doing something.
Remove temptation – if you want to feel better and eat better, put the junk food away.
Create a goal – define your specific goal or vision, give yourself a deadline and get moving.
Start small – change is hard, but if you start slow, you can build momentum without getting overwhelmed.
Be kind to yourself – you are going to have setbacks along the way, but don’t give up. Celebrate your wins, no matter how small they are.

Ask yourself this question. Where would a little more self-discipline have the greatest impact in your life?

Reward of self-discipline:

Small steps can lead to big victories. It is important to take the first step. Once you do, an amazing journey full of physical and mental self-discovery awaits you. You have the power to become more disciplined. You’ve got this.

Something to think about:

I strongly believe in self-discipline and that being good at anything requires focus and practice. Focus on the things that are important to you and do them reliably in the face of inevitable barriers. However, I also acknowledge that at times, self-discipline can be difficult to maintain and you may experience failures along the way.

But the thing is to acknowledge these failures and/or difficult times and keep on going, because one day, you will be proud of yourself for not giving up.

Jo Lastro, Our Expert (Former)

A 1st-Degree Muay Thai Kickboxer and sole owner of Jo’s Fitness Studio. Muay Thai has made Jo stronger, more comfortable in her own skin, and taught her to have faith and trust in herself. She now hopes to inspire, and help others overcome their own obstacles by sharing her expertise in fitness.