Lemondrop

So, for those of you just joining me in my quest to find a tolerable form of exercise, running has been sampled and politely declined, and we are on to something new: T-Tapp.

When I first heard about T-Tapp, a choreographed series of isometric exercises that purport to do everything from whittle inches from your waist to balance your hormones to manage diabetes to negotiate peace in the Middle East, I was skeptical. First of all, the name is hokey, and I couldn't really see myself keeping a straight face while telling my friends I was "T-Tapping." It may not be the most profound criticism of a fitness regime, but what can I say: I'm shallow.

Secondly, T-Tapp inspires an almost cult-like level of devotion, and in general the grander the claims and more devoted the devotees of an exercise program, the more suspicion is warranted. On the T-Tapp Web site, where you can access free videos of some exercises and order the full workout DVDs, the program promises an inch off your waist or hips in only a week, and up to two dress sizes in 30 days.

Those who claim their routine can produce results like that are usually either lying or talking about something requiring greater effort and time commitment than I am willing to pledge. But allow me to give away the ending right now and tell you that as it turns out, T-Tapp does deserve at least some of its hype.

Click here to find out what T-Tapp is all about, and why Alexa might like it

The developer of the program, Teresa Tapp, is an exercise physiologist. She is short and perky and wears big, white athletic shoes with big, white socks -- the slouchy kind that were popular back in junior high. She says "fanny." And this pixie-coiffed, slightly dorky middle-aged woman kicked my ass.

The Workout
I tried out the "Instructional #1" video, basically her 15-minute "Basic Workout Plus" at a slower pace with detailed explanations of each exercise (it took me about 25 minutes). The exercises themselves are a little hard to describe. Some remind me of ballet: There are lots of plies, and lots of emphasis on proper form (hips rotated out, ass tucked, shoulders back).

Doing the exercises with perfect form increases the difficulty, but even with my decidedly imperfect form, my legs were trembling with fatigue by the end of the video. I will warn you that I felt ridiculous doing a few of the moves. This is not a workout to complete in front of others (at least not at the beginning), as I discovered when I did it in front of my husband and he responded by laughing himself into the hiccups.

The Results
However! After following this video only four times in one week, my stomach -- hand to God -- is a little flatter. I know this sounds unbelievable, but it's true. It may be that the workout simply improved my posture, but whatever the reason, any routine that can transform my muffin top into something slightly firmer -- say a scone top -- in a week is a routine worth trying. Teresa recommends measuring yourself to keep track of inch loss; I didn't, and now I wish that I had.

The Conclusion
Unlike running, T-Tapp is virtually excuse-proof. Though your form may suck at first, the exercises can be done by anyone, even the congenitally uncoordinated. And the fact that the workout is brief and requires no equipment means that I am much more likely to actually put in the DVD and do it, especially once I learn the moves and can do the 15-minute, no-instruction version. It is hard to argue that you don't have even 15 minutes to exercise, though God knows I try.

My method (patent pending) for sidestepping any lingering reluctance is this: I'm going to TiVo America's Next Top Model and start it 15 minutes late, only after my workout. I'll be able to skip all the commercials and feel less shameful about enjoying the parade of dysfunctional twig-thin post-adolescents with a nice, big glass of wine.

Alexa Stevenson will be trying out various exercise techniques and documenting them every other week on Lemondrop.

Tell us: Have you tried T-Tapp? What do you think of it?