How Does a Workout Schedule Keep You Disciplined?

The Plan

You have decided to get in better shape. You are tired of hearing your own excuses and seeing your belly droop over your belt. You want to feel good and improve your self-esteem in the process. It's time to start working out. But you don't just go to the gym and start lifting weights. You want to build a proper exercise plan that will increase your strength, endurance and conditioning. You put together a plan that calls for equal parts strength-training, running and an excellent diet. Three days a week you will run and three days a week you will do strength training. On the seventh day, you will either do both or rest. It is your option. Your routines should be specific with different exercises on strength-training days and different distances on running days. You now have a plan that will allow you to add discipline to your life.

The Menu

After two weeks of working out, you are starting to feel and look better. But a few things are still wrong. After dinner, you tend to prop yourself on the couch and watch TV and pop candy in your mouth or eat a big piece of cake. You decide you have created a new discipline in your life by working out, now it's time to watch what you eat. Before going to the supermarket to buy healthy foods, go to your own pantry and start throwing unhealthy foods out. Get rid of the candy, the potato chips and the doughnuts. Out goes the cake and those small pies that you love. You want a healthy environment. Go to the supermarket and load up on fruits, vegetables and healthy juices. By a blender so you can make your own smoothies. Then take advantage of your new discipline by refusing to eat junk and eating only healthy foods.

Activities

You have started to work out and you have changed your diet. Now you need to improve off yourself during your time away from work. When you engage in an activity, ask yourself if it brings you any benefit. You may enjoy the excitement of the casino, but all you do is lose money and valuable time when you are there. You may like to go to the bars, but you drink alcohol and lose time while trying to impress someone you know nothing about. These are activities that cause a loss of discipline and self-esteem. Instead of going to the casino, take a course on how to improve your financial situation. Instead of going to a bar to meet someone, join a discussion group. You may not get rich and you may not meet the person of your dreams, but you are taking positive steps to help your life instead of undisciplined ones that will potentially ruin yours, all because you decided to better yourself with a workout schedule.