for disciplined bods only!

lisa30 · Fri May 18, 2007 9:00 pm

How do you do it? How do you get up early and exercise? What drives you!

Why do i love my bed so much and my brain talks me into staying there, which i regret every morning.

Some people run in all weathers, i think you guys are great!

Can you give me any tips towards making me a more disciplined person?

I think it makes the difference between a successful or an unsuccessful person!

toese · Fri May 18, 2007 11:27 pm

It's like brushing my teeth for me. I don't even think about NOT doing it. I get up put my work out clothes on take the girls to school tghen go straight to the gym.

I love my gym though. It's small enough where we are all friends.

I also teach spinning classes twice a week so that helps!!

The classes are awesome. I love the Group Power class, spin classes and on tues and thurs morning I go run 4 miles. You just have to tell yourself that you will do it.

You brush your teeth, shower, etc every day it's a habit so you got to make workig out a habit and learn to LOVE it!!.

It feels great and it's the best feeling in the world.

PapaBanucci · Sat May 19, 2007 2:50 am

This Jeff Galloway article was in the April issue of Runner's World. It's written for running but I think the ideas are rather universal.

Routine Motivation

The key to sticking with a running program is establishing a simple routine that allows you to hit the road with little effort. The following tips have helped thousands of runners I've coached commit to a morning running schedule. But you can use them to come up with a similar ritual that makes running a permanent habit no matter when you head out.
The night before, gather your clothes, shoes, and whatever else you need on the run so that you don't have to hunt for anything in the morning. Lay everything out somewhere outside your bedroom, preferably near the coffeepot. Also, decide on a route starting at your front door that doesn't have any interruptions (busy intersections, railroad crossings) during the first mile or two to keep you moving forward easily.
While going to sleep, say over and over again "feet on floor, alarm off, to the coffeepot." It may sound corny, but the repetition prepares you for immediate action upon rising while also lulling you to sleep.
When the alarm goes off, don't think. Turn it off, and head to the coffeepot.
As you brew your coffee (or tea, or hot water) or sip a sports drink, get dressed. Focus only on the next piece of clothing or the next gulp from your mug.
Once dressed, walk out to the street, and you're on your way. While a body in bed wants to stay in bed, once a body is in motion, it'll want to stay in motion.

luvs_torun · Sat May 19, 2007 2:52 am

Quote: How do you do it? How do you get up early and exercise? What drives you!

I guess I don't think about it anymore...........

It's just part of who I am.

oldpjams · Sat May 19, 2007 1:04 pm

For me it's a byproduct of establishing that I NEVER skip a workout. Never. Once you've got that set in your head you will quickly learn that it's a lot safer to get up and get the workout done than it is to let it hang over your head all day. Some days something comes up in the morning and you need to push the workout back, and that's fine. Last night I had to ride at 8:30. A solid reminder of why it's better to get up and ride in the morning.

lisa30 · Sat May 19, 2007 6:41 pm

It is true about it hanging over my head all day!

I get more stressed by not doing it, because i think about it all day.

I just need to get into a routine and stop thinking too much!

Analysis is paralysis!!

Thanks for the tips :wink:

Doc_plus25 · Sat May 19, 2007 10:04 pm

I'm not as disciplined as most, but I will get up early and run and I do brave bad conditions occasionally. I have taken Papa's approach - one step at a time. I find sometimes just the thought of going outside at that hour is enough to keep me in bed. So I get up. From there I need to make sure I don't talk myself out of going. Most of the time it works. It does help to organize stuff the night before. Time is usually a factor for me in the mornings, so if I have my running clothes ready when I get up, I can put them on in the bathroom and save a few minutes.

I think now I need to take Jams' approach too and not allow myself to skip a single workout. I tend to skip at least one a week. But I get out there. I also agree that if I don't run in the morning, the probability of my running that day decreases dramatically.

Someday I hope to be like luvs and toese. Have it be just who I am, part of the routine. I'm not there yet. But hopefully someday.

Good luck, Lisa! I know you can do it.

nygirl22 · Sun May 20, 2007 1:24 am

Doc_plus25 wrote: Someday I hope to be like luvs and toese. Have it be just who I am, part of the routine. I'm not there yet. But hopefully someday.

same with me. but I have found that exercising in the morning is so much better. for me, getting it done leaves time and energy for other things. i have done many days of exercising later in the day, but i think about it too much - just getting it done early leaves the rest of the day to worry about other things and it guarentees i DO it. thinking about doing it too often leads to not doing it at all.

sometimes i also just like to tell myself.. i'll run for 15 or 20 minutes and then i'll be done... so i get to it and then i tell myself just to go ahead and do at least 30... sometimes i go an hour or so with no intentions of doing so!

lisa30 · Sun May 20, 2007 1:21 pm

Good on you guys for just getting on with it, especially if you are not usually so disciplined!

I am going to start this coming week with running!

I am not a runner, but i like the idea of being one and being able to achieve substantial distances.

Sitting here thinking about it gets nothing done!

Krismiss · Sun May 20, 2007 8:29 pm

I know for a fact I wouldn't squeeze it in at night. Two kids, homework, dinner, laundry, plus the fact that I tie up the living room tv when I'm working out.

So the logical choice for me, if I want to work out, is in the morning...when everyone else is still in bed, except DH who leaves for work right as I get started.

And the key is.....I know I need to work out. I am positive that exercise or diet alone wouldn't have given me the results I've got. It was the combination of both of them that did it. And I feel great!!!

What KEEPS me going is that I heard my husband tell a friend that I'm always up when he leaves for work (they were talking about having to be quiet at 5am not to wake their wives.) His friend thought I got up to make him breakfast, lol, and DH said "No, she gets up every morning and works out." That made me feel so good!!!!

toese · Mon May 21, 2007 1:52 am

We have 2 little girls. SO morning work good for me as well. DH teaches spinning classes tue and thurs at 5:45 am and let me tell you there are a lot of moms that come to his classes!!!

A-Rod · Mon May 21, 2007 11:37 pm

you could always join the JUNE EXERCISE CHALLENGE if you need some accountability and help pushing yourself with running! ;) ;)

seriously though, once you exercise enough you DO start to enjoy it. for a long time, going to the gym was a chore, and eventually i just stopped minding it and started liking it. every now and again i get in little funks for a few days where i just need a break, but that's healthy and gets you regenerated so it's fun again!

my advice is to find an activity you don't detest and could potentially enjoy, make yourself go regularly til' you start to like it, and have fun challenging yourself to go longer and harder and get that high that comes from positive results and progress. it's self-perpetuating - the more you do it, the more you like it.


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