Since starting my Tae-Bo and fitness journey, I have tried many other types of video workouts including other cardio-kickboxing, but most of them just make me appreciate Tae-Bo even more. Why?
Probably because of the man behind Tae-Bo who is the personification of a positive attitude: Mr. Tae-Bo, himself, Billy Blanks.
Besides being very charismatic, Mr. Blanks appeals to folks yearning for a healthier lifestyle because he promotes working from the inside out, focusing on how Tae-Bo makes us feel instead of how we look. Many who do not know the man think it is all about making money, but everyone who has had the opportunity to meet Billy at his World Training Center in California or on the road has always reported finding the genuine thing in Billy. Even his daughter Shellie exudes goodness and a positive attitude. Plain and simple, Billy Blanks wants to make this world a healthier place for anyone willing to work at it, and this message comes through loud and clear on his videos and in his live classes. This attitude of changing from the inside out is contagious to everyone who gets bitten by the Tae-Bo bug or "Billy Bug." Mechanically, he has made Tae-Bo as simple, effective and safe as possible, yet has also made it mentally stimulating and fun. More than anything else, it is Billy's attitude that is responsible for the exercise sensation known as Tae-Bo.
In spite of all of the folks who get his message, there are many who do not, and others who forget it along the way. Everyone knows why he or she should exercise, though some try to find more reasons not to exercise regularly. Often the excuses given for not exercising are the exact reason why exercise is needed. Some excuses or obstacles are lethargy/laziness, fear of injury/pain, no results/plateauing, undesirable results/bulking-up, lack of time/priorities out of whack, not wanting to sweat/mess your hair, and probably the toughest of all to overcome, lack of motivation because of a myriad of psychological factors causing a negative attitude. Whatever the excuses, the main deciding factor in successfully pursuing fitness is having a positive attitude.
Even folks with that positive attitude, such as myself, struggle with days when working out isn't appealing. If it is because you are truly not feeling well, please do permit yourself some time off. Many times the very reason making the workout less appealing (lethargy) is the exact reason why the workout is needed (to energize). Lethargy is a negative state of mind and the best way to change your attitude into a more positive one is to get moving. Just flip that energy switch on. However, be careful not to over exercise and cause any of the adverse effects of physical fatigue, psychological burnout or injury.
Fear of injury is another excuse although Tae-Bo, if done correctly, is as safe as walking. In fact, you can even do it sitting down, making it safer than walking. Exercise also helps to prevent injuries, making muscles stronger and more flexible. I used to pull a back muscle with a simple sneeze that would debilitate me for weeks. Now, I rarely suffer from such injuries and when I do, they are way more mild and shorter in duration. Sometimes when I do have an injury, it heals faster if I exercise. Although the decision to exercise is usually the healthier one, other times it is best to listen to your body and take the day(s) off to avoid further injury or burnout from over-training. What keeps me going through those off days is the attitude that once my body is rested or healed, I will have a great workout the next day or another day.
Another huge obstacle to a positive attitude about exercise for me has been my infamous plateau. Although I lost weight quickly when first starting Tae-Bo, I haven't budged in over a year. What gets me over that obstacle is remembering where I was emotionally and physically before Tae-Bo and never wanting to go back there again. I have accepted that genetically, I was never meant to be thin but am still seeing and feeling changes indicating that this journey is far from over. The most significant ongoing change has been a constant improvement in my knee pain early in the morning as Tae-Bo strengthens the surrounding muscles. Worse than giving up future changes and slowly losing more recent changes by quitting is the thought of where I would be now if I had never tried Tae-Bo at all and had continued to deteriorate physically. Perhaps a wheelchair? I remember becoming a recluse because walking and standing for just a few minutes became such a painful ordeal because of my weak lower back.
I visit a board for folks over 50 who are trying to lose weight. Most who post there are only interested in the current most touted "fad" diet and turn a deaf ear to the need for exercise to lose or maintain weight as well as to the other benefits of exercise for folks over 50 (primarily stress and pain relief). As a person ages he or she becomes less active and muscles atrophy, which in turn slows the metabolism down, burning less calories. Obesity increases because of the combined slowed metabolism and the decreased activity, bringing all sorts of additional health risks such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, etc. Our goal as we age shouldn't be to just maintain weight but to feel better and to either reduce these complications or avoid them altogether.
When I explain why folks should do a weight resistance exercise to build muscle, I usually hear the fear of bulking up. Most women will not bulk up because they do not have the male hormones and genetics that build those kind of muscles. Yes, they may hit a transition period where lingering fat is mixed with muscle, giving a bulkier image and a few, like myself, may have genetics working against ever being slim. Genetically, I'm short, large boned and mesomorphic (muscle prone) so I have the tendency to look more bulky.
Physically, would I rather be huskily muscular or huskily fat?
Emotionally, would I rather feel positive as a result of exercise and all of its benefits or negative as a result of feeling miserable because of food deprivation and ultimately failing at dieting? Very few people can lose weight and keep it off permanently with dieting alone because they have to eat less and less just to maintain their weight as their muscles atrophy, and even if they succeed, will dieting alone lubricate joints, maintain bone density, energize, relieve stress?
The most amusing excuse to me for not exercising is the lack of time or not having your fitness quest be at the top of your list of priorities because your workout will facilitate the achievement of the rest of your priorities during your daily hectic schedule as well as help you sleep well to better prepare yourself for your following hectic day. Ironically, the people who complain about this lack of time seem to have plenty of time for sitting in front of a computer, so I have suggested not even signing on till after the workout if time is a factor. Just a 15-minute workout (either of the Tae-Bo eight-minute workouts) can energize. Also, supposedly the mind works best just after a workout so both the body and mind will be more efficient in accomplishing more in less time after a short workout. Just pick a specific time of the day that is best for you to be your workout time and do it. You'll be setting a wonderful example to your children, teaching them to respect their bodies and will be a happier and healthier person for everyone you care about and who cares about you.
Tossing in the lame excuse of not wanting to sweat or mess your hair won't cut it either because the eight-minute workouts do not make you sweat (well, not enough to demand a shower or bath). Besides, don't most people in the civilized world bathe at least every other day? OK say you want a longer workout than 15 minutes and do not have enough time to shampoo and dry your sweat-soaked hair. You can try using a head sweatband because it will absorb most of the sweat, keeping your hair comparatively dry (just ask the guys who witnessed my wringing out of the headband after the QVC workout while my hair was still dry). Also if you keep your workout area coolish, you will burn more calories and sweat less. However, make sure you warm up your muscles fully and safely to avoid injury.
A lack of motivation can be the result of a combination of psychological factors such as depression, fear of failure, low self-esteem and burnout/boredom just to name a few. In addition to finding a workout you enjoy and can look forward to doing, this negative attitude can be adjusted by surrounding yourself with fitness buddies like an online support group with a similar focus to yours or reading articles on sites like this. Comparing notes with others will help you understand your own attitude better; analyzing what exactly is holding you back and how to alter it. These groups and sites can also be great source of tips to try to keep you moving. In fact, my online buddies are the main source of material for most of this article. Join your fitness buddies in a challenge like the one of doing tough floor work once a week for the rest of the year or doing at least a short Tae-Bo workout daily for 21 days straight to make it a habit, but just in the beginning because at least one day off a week is a healthier long-term plan.
Focus on how you feel after a workout. Alter your workout so it energizes you. Try a different workout or do an old workout differently. Pump up the music and MOVE. Make it FUN. This is your time so make it enjoyable. Then treat yourself to a brisk stimulating shower or a long hot soak to soothe those muscles.
People who are inactive and/or overweight have every reason to exercise and no real reason not to make exercise a permanent part of their lifestyle. Fitness will improve the quality of their life as well as perhaps lengthen the quantity of their life. Quality of life is a direct result of one's attitude. Make it a positive one.
Why do those gorgeous people on the videos continue to workout after obtaining their almost perfect bodies?
A Positive Attitude
What keeps me working-out regularly though my weight plateaued for over a year?
A Positive Attitude
Why do so many people see me, a woman who is still obese according to the doctor's scale and medical charts as a source of motivation?
A Positive Attitude
Why Tae-Bo?
Because Attitude is Everything and Billy's Attitude is contagious.
Catch the "Billy Bug" and join me on the endless quest for fitness. Your body will thank you for it. And so will everyone who cares about you. What do you have to lose besides stress, pain and fat?
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