Discipline: Miracle Solution for Physical Activity?

Gary Geoffroy April 27, 2026 Health, physical activity

“I just need more discipline“. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard this phrase during motivational coaching sessions on physical activity. Some people swear by this famous discipline. At the same time, how can you escape this belief? You hear it everywhere: in the media, in the speeches of successful people, in advertising slogans, and so on.

But is it really that simple? This article will attempt to qualify the statement through 2 analogies.

1. The plant analogy

Thinking that discipline alone is enough to adopt and maintain an active lifestyle is a bit like believing that watering a plant is all it takes to make it grow.

Being physically active isn’t just about taming your body through sheer willpower; it’s also about learning to care for it as you would a plant. No one would dream of accusing a plant of “lack of discipline” when it’s not growing properly. Common sense would suggest asking questions like: Is the light optimal? Is the watering frequency appropriate? Is the soil sufficiently rich? Is the climate suitable?

Similarly, physical activity is easier to establish and maintain over time when conditions are favorable: prioritize enjoyable activities, create a supportive physical and social environment, have realistic goals and expectations, etc. It’s not just a matter of effort, willpower, and discipline; you must ensure that the ecosystem or conditions are suitable. Discipline is what we call a necessary but not sufficient condition.

Thus, one of the objectives in my motivational counseling sessions is not to add constraint, but to adjust the “behavioral ecosystem”: to find the source(s) of pleasure in physical activity, to enrich the motivational “ground”, to regulate the affective/emotional climate surrounding physical activity.

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Author

Gary Geoffroy

After four years of medical studies in Guadeloupe and France, Gary decided to reorient himself to follow his passion for physical activity. He completed a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree in physical activity sciences at the University of Montreal. Today, he specializes in the science of behavior change, a discipline that aims to make physical activity more accessible, regular, and realistic for everyone. As the founder of Kinobi Conseil, he provides personalized support to people experiencing motivational difficulties when it comes to physical activity. He is also a clinical instructor at the Kinesiology Clinic of the University of Montreal, where he contributes to student training.