How to T-Tapp When You Don’t Feel Like It

Do you ever feel like your exercise routine is going down the drain? There’s a myth out there that T-Tapp Trainers and those who have reached their size goal always feel like working out and don’t have a problem staying consistent. Excuse me? Last time I checked, we’re all human. Life happens, we get busy and/or just plain lazy. From experience, let me show you how to T-Tapp when you don’t feel like it.

But before we get to the nitty-gritty details, let’s get something straight: you do not have to be perfect, or have the perfect workout schedule, to get results with T-Tapp. I run into people who are fearful that skipping a workout will make all of their efforts swirl down the drain. So much so that when they do inevitably skip a workout, they figure “what’s the use?” and quit.

The trick for long-term consistency is to give yourself a good balance between grace and a kick in the pants.

Too much grace and you give yourself permission to be as bad as you wanna be, eating too much and exercising way too little.

Too much kick in the pants and you begin to associate T-Tapp with pain and drudgery and punishment, so why are you surprised when you don’t want to do it?

Here are my tricks and tips for when I know I need to T-Tapp but I don’t feel like it:

Think about how good I’ll feel when T-Tapp is done. Rather than focus on how hard it is and how much I really don’t want to do it, I think about how glad I’ll be that I bit the bullet and did the workout.

Choose my hard thing. It’s hard to be achey and tired after a workout. It’s hard to be achey and tired because I haven’t been working out. Both are hard things. But when I’m achey after a workout I feel a bit proud of myself and hopeful that the workout is doing its thing. When I’m achey from being a sloth, I feel aggravated and have a nagging thought that I need to get to work.

Tell myself “Thank you for sharing,” lace up my shoes and push “play.” We spend more time arguing with ourselves and trying to talk ourselves out of a workout than it would take to just do the thing.

Pick a favorite “don’t feel like it” workout:

• TappCore – 9 separate moves that make it easy to pick and choose. Somehow it seems less overwhelming when it’s not a continuous sequence. Do one, three or nine. Balance will kick your buns if you’re staying tucked and lifted.
• Healthy Hormones/Menopause Management – Love using the towel for the warmup sequence. I just go till I’m done, even if it’s just one move. Usually it’s more. Sometimes the whole enchilada.
• Senior Fit – I. Love. Senior. Fit. On an “I don’t feel like it” day, I do Primary Back Stretch (Tempo-style) and then skip through, usually to Oil Wells, T-Tapp Twist Stretch and always, always Scarecrow/Ski because it’s so awesome.
• MORE, especially Chair – Or Step Away. Or both. On a day when I really don’t feel up to a full workout DVD or I don’t feel well or I’m recovering from something, MORE Chair is a lifesaver. Many a time I have used the regular MORE workout to work back up to strength for a couple of weeks after an illness or medical leave.

Do some T-Tapp but not necessarily a workout. T-Tapp is functional fitness. You can apply its principles to daily life. Walk in T-Tapp form, stand in T-Tapp form. Do a move here and there throughout the day, like the clap/pulls from Senior Fit. (Just don’t do twisting moves without first warming up the spine).

Promise myself a non-food reward after a workout. Favorites: magazine or Pinterest browsing, window-shopping, or just sitting in my chair. That’s a rare one.

Do something besides T-Tapp. I personally don’t do other workouts, but I like to ride a bike around our neighborhood. Sometimes I walk but I much prefer biking. I like to feel the wind on my face and it feels faster and more fun. Throwback from childhood. I often do some form of Primary Back Stretch first.

Take a day off. What? Hey, it’s reality. I listen to my body and mind. When I can tell that I really do NOT want to workout, as in dreading and hatin’ on it, I don’t. This is not a viable long-term strategy. But it IS part of long-term consistency.

I bet you have some ideas on how to T-Tapp when you don’t feel like it. Help others keep from going down the drain and share your tips!