Climbing Back on the Wagon
You made the resolution to start back on T-Tapp and lose some sizes. There’s a freshly dusted workout DVD and new water bottle sitting on the cabinet. A brand new pair of Skechers Energy 2250 shoes are waiting to be laced up. You have high hopes and gung-ho determination now that you’ve climbed back on the wagon. Now what?
Getting started on your workout plan and STAYING started are two different things. Some people have more time available because of their season of life or their circumstances. Some people love to exercise and they do so every day for long periods. But many people have circumstances and motivations that don’t allow for a super-charged workout schedule. In the big picture of their lives, exercise is important but has to stay within parameters that make it possible to stay on the wagon through daily life.
Here are some tips to help you turn your resolution in to an exercise revolution:
Get ready. Make sure you have what you need. Check your shoes—is it time to replace them? Do you need new socks? Would a new workout outfit give you a boost? Look at your space and determine the best place to do your workouts. Your bedroom might be obvious, but if someone is sleeping there every morning when it’s time for your workout you may need an alternative.
Get started. If it’s been a while since you did a T-Tapp workout, start with the Instructionals. Yes, I know you already know the form and the routine. But even T-Tapp Trainers go back to the Instructionals and review periodically. You’ll hear things you never heard before because you’re in a different place. Try this: just WATCH the Instructional and maybe even take notes of things you never noticed before.
Get realistic. When we realize we’ve gained some weight or inches there’s a tendency to panic and throw ourselves into running faster and jumping higher to get it off—quick! While T-Tapp offers the possibility of quick inch loss, there’s no guarantee of overnight results. Consistency brings results in health and inch loss. And that brings us to the next tip.
Get consistent. I attribute a large part of my success in going from a size 22W to a size 6/8 to consistency with T-Tapp. Not being a person who has time or motivation to exercise for long periods daily, consistency looked like this: mostly short workouts done several times a week. Maybe trying to do too much is what caused you to drop off the back of the wagon in the first place. Short seasons of harder effort and more workouts are great, then usually life happens. Better to drop back to consistent short workouts than sit in the dust.
Get moderate. A big problem for busy people is the mental struggle of trying to maintain a long-term demanding workout schedule. Perhaps their body can handle it, but mental burnout can cause them to quit completely. Starting slow can help you acclimate. Continuing moderately can help you stick with it rather than flame brightly and fall like a shooting star.
Get positive. At first you feel positive and hopeful about working out. It’s easy to put in the DVD and push play and whistle while you work. But after a while you have different thoughts. “Ugh. Time to work out.” “I don’t wanna!” “This is SO hard—I can’t do it!” You don’t have control over the thoughts that pop into your head. But you certainly have control over what you do with them. Choose to replace them with positive thoughts. “Great! Time to work out!” “Here we go!” “This is a challenge—but I’m up for it!” You’ll be amazed at what a difference your thoughts make. Try it when you wake up in the morning. Instead of “Let me sleep!” or “Fifteen more minutes,” think “I’m up!”
Getting started is a great thing. Staying started is even better. You may already be overwhelmed by the number of sizes you want to lose, or by the number of workouts it’s going to take to get there. Don’t go there. You may not have the belief yet to get to a size 10.
But you believe you can do a 15-minute workout today. So climb back on the wagon and do that one workout. Do the same tomorrow. If you fall off the wagon, dust off and get back on in a way that allows you to stay on. Just like a pioneer going on to a new place and a new life, you’re in it for the long haul. Wagons, ho!
Tell us what helps YOU stay on the exercise wagon!
In the beginning, accountability was a big deal for me–having one person that I respected who actually looked at my records of workouts accomplished. Once I started making it a habit, I had to “spice it up” on a regular basis. I took classes, went to clinics, bought a new DVD (and another, and another), and spent more time on the forums during special seasons like during Challenges.
Ultimately, the thing that keeps me T-Tapping is how much better I feel when I T-Tapp consistently. I find my energy dragging, in a brain fog, muscles aching, and my injuries beginning to hurt and I realize I’ve slacked off in the number of workouts each week. That’s the greatest motivation!
T-Tapp actually helps me stay on the exercise wagon. I feel so good when I do it and I don’t feel good when I don’t. Thank you for your encouragement, your testimony was truly what I held on to when I didn’t see the results I wanted but the healing that I have received has been unreal.