Exercise vs Movement

Exercise vs movement

There is something about the word exercise that causes an emotional reaction for many people. I find it interesting that the word movement rarely elicits the same emotional response. Go ahead, say the words exercise and movement aloud and then notice what you feel. Try “I’m going to exercise” vs “I’m going to move.”

Although the literature suggests that exercise is beneficial for both physical and mental health, I believe many people are avoidant due to the negative connotation the word exercise has developed. Perhaps you were picked last for teams in gym class. Maybe you were teased about your level of coordination in the past. Maybe you have an internal dialogue about not being athletic.

Here are some steps you can use to get moving in the right direction.

walking on beach for movement vs exercise
  1. What forms of movement do you enjoy? Do you hate sit-ups but love to dance? List as many pleasurable ways to move that you can think of. My list would include swimming, dancing, and walking in the mountains or on a beach.
  2. What forms of movement can you tolerate, even if you don’t love them? I can tolerate an elliptical machine and stationary bike.
  3. What forms of movement do you really dislike? I dislike stair climbing, core strength training, and running.
  4. What forms of movement have you been curious about? My curiosity list includes kayaking, paddleboarding, yoga, rowing, and zumba.
  5. What holds you back? Some obstacles for me are physical limitations, availability, and not wanting to feel foolish, embarrassed, or “stupid” if I’m not good at something.
Possibility List

Once you have the answers to these questions you can start to create a Possibility List. Then you can use the list to increase the amount of movement you do each day. It’s ok to start small with types of movement you really enjoy.

How much different would it feel to say “I get to walk in the mountains” instead of “I have to exercise?” I have said it before, words have power. Deliberately choose the word that helps you live your values in a comfortable way.


Can’t Exercise Due to Busy Day

How many different excuses have you found to avoid exercise? I could probably fill a book with them. Tomorrow is a busy day is a common one for me, but I’ve also used my busy day today as an excuse. Even though I know tapping will work to overcome my resistance, sometimes I also avoid tapping in order to avoid the exercise. If you can make your self do it, I know that this one works.

illustration for karate chop point

Setup (Karate Chop Point) – Even though I don’t think I can exercise tonight since I’ve had such a busy day, I choose to anticipate joy and relief that I am taking good care of my body. Right now I don’t think I can exercise becaues of my busy day, but I reserve the option to re-evaluate in a few minutes when I have taken the time to regroup. Even though I have some excuses about exercising tonight, I choose to consider whether this choice is congruent with my goals or not. I choose to love and accept myself either way.

diagram of the tapping points

Eyebrow…I have had a very busy day

Side of Eye…So I don’t think I can really exercise tonight

Under the Eye…It would just be too much

Under the Nose…I worked so hard that I deserve to just do nothing for a while

Chin…Just one night off won’t really matter

Collarbone…I deserve it

Under the Arm…What am I saying?

Top of Head…Do I deserve to be unhealthy?

Eyebrow…I love the way I feel after I exercise

Side of Eye…It is true that it doesn’t always feel great to get started

Under the Eye…It is true that it sometimes seems pretty hard in the beginning

Under the Nose…I always feel proud of myself when I have the self discipline to exercise

Chin…I could just get started and then quit when my body says it has had enough

Collarbone…If the hectic day means a shorter workout that’s ok

Under the Arm…If the hectic day means a longer workout would be good to help me de-stress, that’s ok too

Top of Head…I am open to body guidance about this

This tapping exercise was written a long time ago and was included in Don’t Diet: Reprogram Your Weight With Meridian Tapping. It is highly relevant for me right now. Today I joined a new gym and the excuses for getting started are already swirling around in my head. I flipped open the book and saw this one. Definitely a message from the Universe.

Happy Tapping

book cover for Don't Diet Reprogramming Your Weight With Meridian Tapping


If I Exercise Now…

What kinds of excuses do you use to skip out on exercise? I’ve heard (and used) many creative excuses. One of my favorites is “If I exercise now I will be too tired later.” This tapping script is to help eliminate this excuse and get you (and me) back on track.

illustration for karate chop point

Setup (Karate Chop Point): Even though I am avoiding exercise right now, I love and accept myself anyway. Even though I am worried that I will be too tired later if I exercise now, I acknowledge that I am a work in progress. Even though I am worried that I will be too tired to do the rest of the things I have planned for my day if I exercise now, I know that I can change this negative way of thinking.

diagram of the tapping points

Eyebrow…If I exercise now I wil be too tired later

Side of Eye…I am already tired

Under the Eye…How can I do the things I need to do if I exercise now?

Under the Nose…I know I am just making excuses

Chin…But they seem to have worked for me before

Collarbone…At least they have worked to keep me from exercising

Under the Arm…This excuse hasn’t helped me to get any healthier

Top of Head…I know that it isn’t even true

Eyebrow…When I do exercise I am tired for a little while

Side of Eye…And then I have even more energy

Under the Eye…When I exercise regularly

Under the Nose…My energy level stays up

Chin…This is just a negative message my brain has made up

Collarbone…To keep me right where I am

Under the Arm…It isn’t a good message

Top of Head…It isn’t even a true message

Eyebrow…This is a message I could ignore

Side of Eye…Sometimes my brain tells me things that aren’t true

Under the Eye…Things like “I’m hungry” right after I’ve eaten

Under the Nose…Or things like “If you eat sugar you’ll feel better”

Chin…Sometimes these messages are really hard to ignore

Collarbone…It is exciting when I can tell the difference

Under the Arm…I am learning to be better about making decisions based on my goals

Top of Head…I may not be excited about exercising right now, but I don’t have to worry about being too tired later

Do you feel like exercising? Go work out while your motivation is high. Did a new excuse crop up? Keep tapping on each excuse and hopefully gain clarity about your real reasons for avoiding exercise.

This tapping and others like it can be found in Don’t Diet: Reprogram Your Weight With Meridian Tapping. I’d love to hear your feedback.

book cover for Don't Diet Reprogramming Your Weight With Meridian Tapping


I Don’t Have Time to Exercise

Getting Ready to ExerciseI don’t have time to exercise.”  I say these words a lot.  I’m a very busy person.  Intellectually I know that what I mean is that I don’t have time that I want to allocate to exercise, but the feeling that I don’t have time is quite real.  Tap along with the exercise and see what comes up for you.

illustration for karate chop pointSetup (tapping on karate chop point): I don’t have time to exercise. I’m a very busy person.  Where would I find the time? I have way too many things to do so I don’t think I really have the time to exercise.  In spite of all my excuses about time to exercise, I choose to love and accept myself anyway.  Even though I have an amazing number of excuses about why I don’t have time to exercise, I honor that part of me that knows that I really do.

diagram of the tapping pointsEyebrow…I don’t have time to exercise

Side of Eye…Sometimes that feels really true

Under the Eye…Sometimes I know it is just an excuse

Under the Nose…I AM really busy

Chin…I have a lot on my plate

Collarbone…Other people rely upon me to get things done

Under the Arm…I often feel overwhelmed with all I have to do

Top of Head…Lets face it, adding exercise to the mix seems pretty daunting

Eyebrow…At the very least it could be quite inconvenient

Side of Eye…I don’t know how I would fit it into my day

Under the Eye…What other things would I have to give up?

Under the Nose…If I get other people to do their own stuff I could probably find some time to exercise

Chin…But that will mean conflict

Collarbone…If I asked for help with some of my own stuff I probably could find some time to exercise

Under the Arm…But asking for help is hard

Top of Head…I realize that I don’t have to do it all at once

Eyebrow…I could do a little bit at a time

Side of Eye…Like just parking one spot farther out in the parking lot

Under the Eye…If I really wanted to exercise

Under the Nose…I could be creative in my scheduling

Chin…The first step is deciding that I really want to do this

Collarbone…Then I can decide what exercise or exercises I want to do

Under the Arm…I might be fun to take a class

Top of Head…And learn something new

Eyebrow…I could get the whole family involved some of the time

Side of Eye…Or I could have this as “me time”

Under the Eye…It feels somewhat good to thing about doing this for myself

Under the Nose…I have the same amount of time each day

Chin…That everyone else does

Collarbone…It is up to me to decide how to use it

Under the Arm…I will have to make some choices

Top of Head….Making me a priority

Exercise Avoidance

getting ready to exerciseHave you ever skipped a planned workout because you just didn’t want to go? Meridian tapping can help to keep you on track for your health and fitness goals. This is actually a pretty old video.  Much has changed since I filmed it.  I’ve moved twice, broken my arm, and changed jobs.  My commitment to exercise has not changed, but the way I go about it has.  I typically don’t go to the gym anymore and now do most of it at home.  I’m also thinking about increasing movement rather than increasing the number or repetitions.

Don’t get me wrong, I still set goals for time, speed, and incline when on the treadmill, monitor the number of steps per day on my smart phone, and get excited if I can add weight when lifting.   Setting and working toward goals is a part of my personality.  In terms of health though, frequent movement seems to be as important as intense movement.

Even though I remain committed, there are days when I just have trouble getting started.  That is when tapping really comes to my rescue.

 

Thinner This Year

Book cover image for Thinner This YearThinner This Year: A Diet and Exercise Program for Living Strong, Fit, and Sexy was more challenging for me than was Younger Next Year.  That doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it, but I had to concentrate more to get the information.  Chris Crowley’s witty style is definitely present and Jennifer Sachek’s portions are interesting, but contain so much important information that it was less entertaining.  Together they are a complete package.

Younger Next Year was a game changer for me. I rarely miss a work out.  I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy it as much as Chris does, but I’m definitely a convert and have been since I first read it in 2014.  With regards to the diet component, that’s a little tougher because of my food allergies. I can’t just lift the advice from the pages and apply it quite as easily as I can the exercise part. The overarching message of don’t eat garbage is applicable though.

Remarkably, what I gained from Thinner This Year isn’t just knowledge.  Although a large portion is a how-to book, there is a significant amount of the book dedicated to why-to.  Even more important is that is sparked my excitement about making a few changes. I have a bit more belief in my ability to modify my lifestyle and I have a stronger belief in the necessity of doing it.

As you can tell, I highly recommend reading this book.

Younger Next Year

Book Cover of Younger Next YearThree letters sum up my reaction to the book Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy – Until You’re 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge. You choose either WOW or OMG.  For me, this book was a life-changer. In reality, a lot of the information, the what, was not new to me.  What was new was the why.  And in this book, the why is pretty compelling. I found myself actually wanting to get to the gym more. That is pretty amazing. My diet is really pretty good, but I found myself wanting to make it better. The comparison between aging and decaying rattled around in my head almost constantly for the first few months after reading the book. I was convinced pretty early in the beginning chapters that decaying is a very bad think and generally preventable.

book cover from Younger Next Year for WomenYounger Next Year is a book by men and about men. That was not a turn off to me but it might be for some women. I was readily able to see that the science is the same, no matter the gender. Don’t despair though, there is a version Younger Next Year for Women.  No matter which one you choose, the important thing is to read the book and follow Harry’s Rules.  I am absolutely confident that they can change lives.

Exercise Avoidance

 

getting ready to exerciseHave you ever skipped a planned workout because you didn’t want to go? Or if you workout at home, have you skipped a workout because you just didn’t feel like doing it?  I have.  This video demonstrates how you can use tapping to keep you on track with your health and fitness goals.

 

I Don’t Want To

Kettle bells to represent exerciseDo you ever have a plan for when you are going to exercise, but when the time comes, you don’t really feel like it?  It happens to me all the time. This is the meridian tapping I have used before getting on the bike or treadmill. I hope it inspires you.

 

illustration for karate chop pointSetup (while tapping on the karate chop point): Even though it is time to exercise right now, and I don’t want to, I honor and respect my thoughts about this. Even though It’s time to exercise right now, and I don’t want to, I honor and respect my feelings about this. Even though its time to exercise right how, and I don’t want to, I honor and respect myself anyway.

diagram of the tapping pointsEyebrow…It is time to exercise

Side of Eye…And I don’t want to

Under the Eye…Thats ok

Under the Nose…I don’t always have to want to do something

Chin…There might be a good reason

Collarbone…And I am open to clarity

Under the Arm…This might also be an excuse

Top of Head…And I am open to clarity

Eyebrow…This might also be self-sabotage

Under the Eye…Not wanting to do something isn’t such a big deal

Under the Nose…I can choose to exercise right now anyway

Chin…I can choose to exercise later

Collarbone…I can listen to my inner guidance and decide if I will exercise or not

Under the Arm…I choose to make this decision with love and respect for my feelings

Top of Head…I choose to make this decision with love and respect for myself.

 

The hard part of this tapping is actually doing it.  Even those it is short it is usually enough to get me back on track.  Unfortunately part of the issue could be self-sabotage. In that case I can be very resistant to doing the tapping because I know it will actually work.

Give it a try and let me know how it worked for you.

Tapping Exercise: I hate situps

I really like the idea of exercise.  I feel good about myself after I do exercise.  But I don’t like ALL exercise equally.  I really hate situps (or pretty much any other core exercise).

illustration for karate chop pointStart tapping on your karate chop point and use the setup statements below.

Setup: I really hate situps. I know that working on our core is crucial to having good health.  I just can’t seem to make myself do them. Even though I really hate situps and rarely do any core strengthening exercises, I choose to love and accept myself anyway. Even though I have definitely neglected my core, I deeply and completely love and accept that part of myself that is at least trying to do what my body needs.  Even though I really hate situps, I choose to be amazed by how easy they could seem in the future.

Eyebrow…I hate situps

Side of Eye…I really hate situps

Under the Eye…They are hard for me

Nose…I know that strengthening my core muscles would be a good thing

Chin…I know that doing situps or other exercises would help me lose even more weight

Collarbone…But I have been unable to make myself do them in the past

Under the Arm…What if there is a way to actually feel good about doing them?

Top of Head…What if they don’t have to be awful?

Eyebrow…I could focus on hos good those muscles feel to actually receive some attention

Side of Eye…I could focus on how my waist measurement is changing as I am faithful with my workouts

Under the Eye…I could use my situp time to acknowledge everything that I have to be grateful for

Nose…I could use my core workouts as a time to send positive energy to situations and people who are important to me

Chin…I am open to feeling more positive about working on my core muscles

Collarbone…I am hopeful that I can feel more confident in my ability to do situps and other core exercises

Under the Arm…It really wouldn’t add that much more time to my daily workouts

Top of Head…And I am excited to think that this workout could make me feel and look even better.