What I Like About the New T-Tapp Senior Fit Workout!

What I Like About the New T-Tapp Senior Fit Workout!
By Elizabeth Platt

If you’re interested in the new Senior Fit Workout released just a few months ago I thought you might want to know what is in it, what are some of the differences, and what I like about the workout.

So what is on the Senior Fit Workout. Like the other T-Tapp workouts it is based on the original, 15-minute, Basic Workout Plus and some moves from the Total Workout. So, you will find many similarities in sequence and movements but with brand new variations, tweaks, and enhancements. The changes really improve muscle activation and reduce inflammation.

Changes in Senior Fit also accommodate balance and flexibility challenges, while still offering the fabulous hormone-balancing, lymph-pumping, muscle-building core workout we all love so much. But, the best part about Senior Fit is the focus and new and improved method to help us get our “ribs up” and to keep them up throughout the entire workout.

At the last two retreats I attended, Teresa was still perfecting and finalizing the Senior Fit workout for release while testing it out live. And I LOVED IT!  However, the video is a little different than doing the workout live, with Teresa, and a big group of T-Tappers. 

Some changes I absolutely LOVE:

1. I think the absolute best change in Senior Fit is that Teresa spends a lot more time on the set up. Before every single move you get more time to set up with a good “tuck and lift ribs.”
2. I absolutely love the new hand position. Instead pinching fingertips to thumb or “mitten hands” outstretched. In Senior Fit, the hand position is finger-tips from the second knuckles, curled in with thumbs outstretched. This hand position feels really good on the hands, wrist, and forearm and you can focus more on pushing thumbs back when hands are out to the side, in order to activate the back more efficiently.
3. Because the new hand position is more comprehensive, you can activate triceps and your entire back with just the simple little cue to “push thumbs back.”
4. The stance used in Senior Fit is a little closer together than the traditional width so you get more ab activation. Greater activation equals greater results!
5. I really, really love the T-Tapp Twist variation in Senior Fit! No tilting over whilst twisted to the side. The traditional T-Tapp Twist is one of the most challenging and frustrating moves for newT-Tappers who are trying to get it “right.” You can much more easily get the T-Tapp Twist down with the new variation in Senior Fit.
6. Another big plus, is that your head never drops below the waist. This is great because when our backs are weaker it is hard to maintain activation in that flat back position. It is a lot easier to maintain good activation when just tilted over somewhat as in the Senior Fit workout. This is also done to accommodate balance challenges and possible heart issues when the head and heart are lowered to flat back.
7. You only do four reps of most things so even though the workout is a good hour long, it doesn’t feel at all like an hour at all.
8. Hoedowns are almost exactly the same as the original Basic Workout Plus except for the new hand position of thumbs out instead of mitten hands. But, with the new thumbs-back position it really helps with balance and it seems easier to keep the back activated through the whole sequence.

You can see by my list, that there are a lot of things that I love about Senior Fit. But the real test is the results. And when I attended the last two retreats where we focused on Senior Fit almost the entire time, I DID lose inches! I lost approximately nine to eleven at each retreat.

I am so excited about Senior Fit that I want to give away one new Senior Fit Workout DVD on May 31! To find out details on how to enter the give away, join me over on my website at: www.elizabethplatt.com/senior-fit-giveaway.

Please share if you think someone would benefit from having the T-Tapp Senior Fit Workout.

Elizabeth Platt is a T-Tapp Trainer, personal fitness trainer and inspirer, home-maker, part-time mompreneur, part-time state worker, and home schooling mom. Her passion for T-Tapp, joy of motherhood, and love of family all come together to inspire others to thrive in their journey to health and joyful family living. Join me for encouragement and realistic advice on how to combine fitness and motherhood.

10 Days to Become an Inspiration… What Will You Do?

Constantly looking for inspiration to keep myself motivated, I have come across a T-Tapper with quite a powerful story that I wanted to share as our T-Tapp Moms post this week.  

Paula Davis is a busy T-Tapp Mom to 5 wonderful children and this is her experience with 10-days of self care using the guidelines of the 10-Day Daniel Diet and her personal success.  

No matter what guidelines you choose to follow, I hope that you will use this post to find inspiration and jump-start your own self-care plan to Spring clean the areas of your life, health and/or being that need a little more shine!  

Enjoy!

Lauren
T-Tapp Staff

Yes, Food Can Change Your Life!
by Paula Davis

I needed a change. 

It was time.

I could feel it in my bones…literally.

I just wasn’t feeling my best.  I was tired and feeling heavy.  My digestive system was grumbling, my skin didn’t look it’s best and if you asked any of my kids, and all five of them will agree, my occasional crankiness was becoming a daily personality trait. 

To make matters worse, I was noticing a change in my home.  Once clean and organized bedrooms were now starting to become cluttered, the kids weren’t paying attention to their chores.  Dishes were being left in the sink, and homework was being finished but not checked as we scrambled to get to activities on time.  Although I can occasionally pull out the “Big Busy Family” excuse, it was getting really, really old.

What we were doing wasn’t working and I needed to take my family in a different direction and quickly.  I knew I had to lead the way.  It was time to rev up my energy, jack up my creativity and recapture my purpose and passion.  A pretty big order, right?

My decision wasn’t going to be easy but, in the end, it would give my family the shift their actions were crying out for to switch our gears.  I didn’t just want to improve our daily performance at school, work, home and on the ice and court (I have two competitive hockey players and three ranked tennis players), I wanted to impact our lives!

What did I do you ask?  I made the decision to take several days, ten to be exact, and make a commitment to my own self care.  Although not unheard of, it can be an unpopular decision to make especially when you have a super busy family like mine.  My family needs, no expects, me to put their needs, wants and desires before mine.  But you and I both know, what our families want and actually need can be very different.

What does 10-days of self care look and feel like?  It is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done and I hope my story will help other’s become excited to begin their own commitment to self care! 

Here is what I was able to do in 10 days of committing myself to… myself! 

1. Maximized Weight Loss just where my body needed it the most.  
I lost 14 pounds, almost all from my middle!  I didn’t necessarily need to lose weight.  I’m healthy person.  I love green juice, smoothies are my go to favorite and 80 percent of what I eat is raw and some lightly cooked vegetables.  I don’t stay away from animal protein, but I consume a relatively small portion of only organic, pasture raised and fed meat and eggs.

With this in mind, weight loss wasn’t a high priority, but seeing my waist again without the bulge underneath was definitely a bonus.  Plus, although I lost 14 pounds in a relatively short period of time, I didn’t lose weight in my face, arms or legs, I looked healthy and strong, not weak or like you do when you lose weight quickly after an illness or crash diet.

2. Clear skin and beautiful hair?!  In just ten amazing days, my skin looked remarkable. Hyper-pigmentation from decades of cystic acne, faded considerably.  My skin was firm, looked fresh, I swear to you, in ten days, I took off ten years.  The results shocked me!

Being a Mom, wife, career woman, cheerleader, cook, bus driver, you know what I mean, we are pulled in a variety of directions and stress comes along for the ride. But, this challenge reminded me that stress leads to unbalanced hormones, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and a not so fun collection of issues like anemia, adrenal fatigue and insulin resistance.  My body shows stress with hair loss, pimples and fatigue.  I’m sure you’ve experienced this, too. So when my shoulder length hair was getting more and more coarse and unmanageable and covering the bathroom and shower floor daily, the pimples were popping and I was exhausted, I knew something had to give.  

3.  Improved Digestion and Elimination.  For 10-days I was super hydrated, ate only easily digestible foods with healthy fats to lubricate my bowels and fiber to keep things moving.  I made the time, several times a day, to connect with God and my family, key stress relievers to improving digestion, too. Vitamin Love makes a huge difference here, no doubt.  I also believe this is why my weight loss was concentrated to my middle.  My digestive system was bogged down and I was holding on to a lot of toxic waste and a bit of motherly resentment, guilt and inadequacy.  Eliminating all of this was freeing to say the least and pound dropping to boot!

4.  Energy, Creativity and Passion, Oh My!  For the first time in my 47 years, I was waking up without an alarm buzzing.  I had energy like never before and it was exhilarating   My attention to details was unbelievable; I was able to recapture the mental clarity and focus I thought I had lost along the way.  No matter what they say, you don’t lose brain cells with each pregnancy!   My creativity was souring.  I woke with so many ideas for my business and family and couldn’t wait to jump out of bed each morning and write them down. My pen couldn’t keep up with my thoughts.  My passion to live my purpose was now unbridled. I was looking good, feeling flipping fantastic and knocking off my To Do lists with rocket speed and all with a smile and the patience I thought I no longer had.  The unconditional love I felt for my family was overflowing to my community and my desire to help all Moms have the opportunity to feel the same way, to have the ability to feed their families the best food possible and the knowledge to know which foods and how to prepare them to achieve the results they so desperately desire.

I learned in these 10 days that if you lead the way, your family will follow.  On the evening of my tenth day, as I broke my 10-Day Daniel Diet using Beyond Organic foods, preparing a delicious red kale and romaine salad with cucumber and avocado dressing, quinoa with lightly cooked bean sprouts, zucchini, shiitake mushrooms and a delightful kick of cilantro and coconut aminos with a small piece of wild salmon topped with pineapple salsa, my family was working along side me in the kitchen. Preparing the dressing, chopping the fresh organic produce and putting the finishing touches on our meal,  the mouth watering aroma and the loving conversation made me realize just how important it is for me to make my health a priority.  For a mom without her health, passion and purpose, cannot lead her family to the blessings life has waiting for them.

Share and Care
The amazing Daniel Diet will be available to all starting on April 15th.  If you are interested, you can also check out all the amazing Beyond Organic foods by clicking here:  http://powerurplay.mybeyondorganic.com/Products.aspx.  

Beyond Organic was created by Jordan Rubin, I am sure you are aware of the name because he was the creator and founder of Garden of Life.  To learn more about Beyond Organic and how changing your diet can change your life, download his FREE book here:  https://powerurplay.mybeyondorganic.com/FreeBookDownload.aspx

If you have any questions regarding these products, please feel free to email me at [email protected].  I know 10 days isn’t a very long time, but 10 days has made a huge impact on my health and family life.  Making a difference in lives is something I love to share and I am dedicated to helping people achieve the same results.

Even if you do not try out the 10-day Daniel Plan, I hope that you take the time to think of a 10-day commitment that will benefit you! 

Paula Davis (www.powerurplay.com)  is a wife of twenty years, mother of five kids playing a variety of top   notch competitive sports and a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach and Healthy Eating Specialist.  Paula does more than talk the talk, she’s been walking the walk for nearly two decades. She’s published on a variety of health and wellness websites and has worked with leading health and wellness trailblazers both online and in private practice.  It’s her passion to help all families POWEURPLAY with whole foods and natural strategies because when you do you improve more than your performance on the job, at school or in your athletic endeavors, you improve your life!

3 Moves For Sexy Abs, Butt, and Thighs

3 Moves For Sexy Abs, Butt, and Thighs
by Jen Jones

Summer is right around the corner. Are you ready? Depending on where you live, more than likely you will be showing a little more skin when the temperature heats up, right? So I’m thinking sexy abs, butt and thighs might be in your desired future.

Not to worry. There is still time.

But you’re going to have to get to work.

By now you probably know all about the T-Tapp Total Workout where the claims are outrageous: lose an inch off the waist or hips in one week! But what if you don’t have time to do the total workout, but still want results? Let’s take a look at how to target the abs, butt and thighs for a more focused workout.

T-Tapp has a secret for a flat stomach. It’s in two genius exercises called “Putting the Organs in Place” and “Half Frog Sequence.” The combination of these two moves positions your organs within your body properly, and tightens the muscles around them to keep them in place, and then works the abdominal muscle to make it even stronger. This is not only good for your organs, but works quickly to reveal a flat stomach. Read that sexy abs. This flat stomach sequence is featured on the Hit the Floor DVD and the Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes DVD.

To work on getting that sexy backside, you get to experience an exercise Teresa Tapp designed with her signature style: The Diva Derriere. The beauty of this exercise is it only takes 5 minutes and it can be done anywhere. Gone are skipped workouts or your excuses that you don’t have time. Couple that with the fact that you will feel the difference the very first time you do the move, and I think you will become quite a fan. Get yer Diva Derriere on the Target Pop 3 DVD.

Lastly, you will achieve sexy thighs with the Awesome Legs workout. Again, with just a 5 minute investment per day, you will see results quicker than you can say, “Wow, I’ve got awesome legs!” Reverse bulky thighs and remove fat deposits from the inner thigh, inner knee and above the knee cap. Strengthening these muscles will provide you with overall better health as well as legs for days. You can find the Awesome Legs workout on the Hit the Floor Harder DVD and Target Pop 3 DVD.

Teresa’s moves are always deceptively simple and delectably effective!

Most people see results from the above exercises within 10 days. Proper form is key, but as always, Teresa guides you every step of the way with clear instructions for remarkable results.

So pull the tags off that swimsuit that’s been stuffed in the back of your drawer, and hit the beach with confidence. And you don’t even have to tell anyone that you accomplished it all in just 5 minutes a day.

Jen Jones is passionate about healthy weight loss and living life to the fullest. She spends her time coaching women on how to throw off the shackles of the mundane and to rise up to fulfill their beautiful calling. None of this would be possible without wellness…besides extreme wellness is sexy! Meet Jen for a personalized Discovery Session, or sign up for more wellness tips here.  You can also find Jen on Google+.

Shopping for Swimsuits With My Daughter…Yikes!

Shopping for Swimsuits With My Daughter…Yikes!
By Elizabeth Platt

I had a huge paradigm shift today. I don’t know where or how it come from but one moment I was thinking one thing, and then out of randomness, came a complete shift in thinking.

It is starting to feel like spring here in northern California. And spring means summer will be here in a flash.

Our family’s summers are filled with boating, camping, and swimming. Our favorite lake is 3.5 miles from our house and we boat from the beginning of April through October. That is almost half the year so the girls usually need at least 3-4 swimsuits per year to get them through the season. Sometimes more.

Since we do a lot of boating, one-piece suits are not an option! Have you ever tried to go to the bathroom in a one-piece with a life jacket on? Yep, really impractical. For that reason alone, we have always bought two-piece swimsuits since children under 12 are required to wear life vests at all times on the boat.

The girls have always been happy with these cute, modest little skirt/tankini suits from Lands End like this:

Since the weather is warming up, we are swimsuit shopping again. If we wait too long, then we have a hard time trying to find the right sizes.

This year my 9-year-old wanted to order some bikinis with no skirt instead of the usual tankini with cute skirt. We got the order a few days ago and she tried them all on and is trying to decide which to keep and which to send back.

Most of them look something like this:

My first and strongest feelings have been, “Yikes!” “She is only 9 and 9-year-olds, who are starting to develop tween bodies, have no business being in bikinis!” Every time she tried on one of those bikinis I had to try so hard to suppress my negative reaction. I didn’t want my daughter to interpret my reactions as negative to her, but just the swimsuit itself. The two-piece bikinis were all terrible, and personally, I think they don’t look flattering.

So as J was trying on the suits, I would make a comment like, “Well, that one looks like it would push up/move/slide etc. if you are jumping in the water or playing or building in the sand.” I said this but maybe in a different way to each and every one. Or I would say, “Hmmm, I don’t know if you would like that… when you are swimming because it might do…” You get the idea. Trying to make it seem like she wouldn’t like it even though after putting on several of them, her pretty face would light up and she would say, “Oh mom, I LOVE this one.” I kept shooting her down. Ugh!

I have always believed, and see it in our own lives, that modesty does not need to be “taught” to children. They pick up on it and naturally want privacy and modesty as they get older. At least mine have and I have never tried to “teach” modesty.

A lot of back story, but this is important to the paradigm shift for me.

Today, was my great “Aha” moment and I realized that my daughter will be embarrassed and self-conscious about her body soon enough as she enters her pre-teen and teen years.

But I want her to believe and know that she does NOT have to be ashamed or embarrassed about her body and there is no reason to hide. She is not trying to be provocative, seductive, nor anywhere near a thousand miles of those terms. If she loves the suits and feels great in them, why on earth would I want her to feel like she has to hide her body?

She is a beautiful, confident young lady who loves pretty, stylish, and comfortable outfits. If she feels good I do NOT want to send her the message that she doesn’t look good. So, here is my big shift in thinking.

I told her she could keep whichever ones she liked the best. I have a feeling it will be the cute skirt/tankini in the end, but I’m okay with whatever she chooses.

I want to encourage you to look at things from a different perspective or at least be open to other ways of doing things and thinking with your parenting.

Elizabeth Platt is a T-Tapp Trainer, personal fitness trainer and inspirer, home-maker, part-time mompreneur, part-time state worker, and home schooling mom. Her passion for T-Tapp, joy of motherhood, and love of family all come together to inspire others to thrive in their journey to health and joyful family living. Join me for encouragement and realistic advice on how to combine fitness and motherhood.