Less to Lose - Under 50 Category

Hanna R.

I'll admit it. I was a little suspicious. After all, everyone knew a 15-minute workout could not work. Everyone knew that fat burning did not happen until well into a workout. Everyone knew that you could not spot-reduce. Everyone knew you would not lose weight without extensive cardiovascular exercise. At least I did.

Or I thought I did.

When my mother invited me to join her in the T-Tapp January Jumpstart Challenge, I knew virtually nothing about T-Tapp. But, always game for a challenge, I immediately agreed to be a part of it. I began researching T-Tapp and became fascinated by the theories behind it. I decided to fully committed to the T-Tapp process to give it the best chance to succeed, working out 30 minutes every day without fail, except for the suggested one day rest after two weeks. This was not easy, being a full-time college student, participating in many extracurricular and volunteer activities, and maintaining my job as an actress and model. However, no matter how early I had to get up in the morning, I always found time for T-Tapp. I did the elliptical twice and found that transformed by T-Tapp principles; with my hips tucked, chest out, and KLT, it became much harder—and much better. With the motivation of the challenge, I found myself eating healthier, although I have been eating very healthy for several years now.

I worked with a T-Tapp instructor a few times which was invaluable in teaching me proper form. Working with her also taught me the one thing that would be the hallmark of this entire challenge for me: keeping the T-Tapp posture all day. The first day of the challenge, then, I cheerfully assumed full T-Tapp posture, ignoring my protesting muscles. Little did they know that the real challenge was coming: a textbook-filled backpack. I nearly fell over at the thought of having to keep good posture with it on, but gamely struggled along, looking forward eagerly to sitting down in class and resting my aching muscles. Collapsing into a chair, I realized with a shock that I could and should keep T-Tapp posture sitting down. Oh dear. This was not going to be as easy as I thought. On and on throughout the day this went until I dropped into bed that night, exhausted. Day after day I worked on it, adding in other elements, such as activating my calves through the balls of my feet or arching my back when bending over blow-drying my hair. I found myself doing miniature T-Tapp Twists to keep myself occupied during boring lectures, or tucking my hips under while waiting in line. T-Tapp was truly permeating my life.

Posture transformation was by far the biggest change T-Tapp made in my life. My entire posture has changed; I feel more confident about my improved body shape. Before, I had felt guilty when I had stood in such an activated manner, thinking that somehow it was "cheating" to make myself look thinner, but T-Tapp showed me that that, far from cheating, it was good posture. Indeed, I feel much more confident in myself by practicing a lifestyle of body activation, which is so much more than just a daily workout to check off the to-do list. Ultimately, keeping this regal posture has improved my attitude and self-esteem.

Further, the T-Tapp workout itself was transforming. I have never been one to love exercise, but, somehow, slowly, I began looking forward to my workouts every morning. It was not that they were easy, for I constantly worked to make each exercise harder, but I found T-Tapp worked with my body, not against it. When training for my half marathon, I became concerned about how harsh exercise harmed the body; I did not have this concern at all with T-Tapp. In fact, when I became sick, I still felt comfortable doing the workout, and I believe it helped me recover faster. Not to mention, unlike most exercise videos, in T-Tapp there was no hopping, leaping, or otherwise embarrassing behavior. After all, I was doing this in the college's public workout room: I had to maintain some sense of dignity!

There have been so many other benefits that T-Tapp has brought to my life, some that would not even seem exercise related. First, I began skin brushing and instantly saw a difference in my usually incredibly dry skin. Also, college itself has become easier. Other semesters I had trouble with falling asleep in class but my activated T-Tapp posture eliminated that problem. T-Tapp has helped in my career as a model and actress, as my shape is impoved and my measurements have become more desirable. Further, using T-Tapp posture while singing led to a breakthrough in my vocal breath support that my instructors had been trying to teach me for over a year.

Finally, when holding T-Tapp posture while horseback riding, I found that I was able to sit my horse's gaits in a way that I had been trying to do for years. Clearly, T-Tapp was proving to be so much more than exercise: it was becoming a way of life.

Indeed, because of that life-integration, I would like love to be the winner of the Less to Lose category. I want to learn how to better implement T-Tapp in my future, learning not only about the exercises but also about the other holistic elements of T-Tapp, such as skin brushing and nutrition. Even during the very last workout of the challenge, I was discovering new elements of the exercises I had previously missed, and I truly desire to continue those breakthroughs through T-Tapp coaching. As a college student, I see T-Tapp as being a wonderful resource for us students, easy to learn and implement, requiring no special equipment, able to be done within dwarf-size dorm rooms, and, most importantly, speaking to size-conscious college women who want to avoid that "freshman fifteen"—my roommate has already become interested in it through my involvement. Further, as an actress and model, I can learn how to better use T-Tapp in the same realm in which it was developed, aiding my passion in the on-camera industry.

Ultimately, however, by winning this challenge, I will be better equipped to tell others who know, as I did that T-Tapp could not work. Because what they know is about to change.

VIEW THE OTHER 2011 JANUARY JUMP START WINNERS!