TAPfit

TAPfit is a dance fitness program that utilizes the principles of tap dance to get you moving to a beat—no prior dance experience required.

This innovative fitness program was founded by four Australian sisters, all of whom are tap teachers who graduated from the Les Griffith Tap Dance Academy and have diplomas from the World Tap Dance Championships in Reisa, Germany.

This program purportedly builds on their expertise to give you a full-body workout that combines dance moves with cardio, conditioning, and strength training to get you in shape.

To maximize your experience, you should wear TAPfit’s patented taps that fit over your gym shoes to add a beat to every move you make.

In this review, we take a detailed look at TAPfit to tell you if it works and help you decide if it is right for you.

Is TAPfit a Good Way to Exercise?

An instructor guides you through every step of TAPfit workouts to ensure that even beginners can figure out the moves.

The brand claims that all steps are low-impact and safe for a variety of fitness levels while ensuring you get your heart rate up for maximum calorie burning—even up to 800 calories per hour.

That’s a claim that Dr. Aragona, a general practitioner and family doctor at Prescription Doctor challenges. “From a medical and health perspective, tap dancing can be great exercise,” he shared with us.

“On average, tap dancing burns around 315 calories per hour, so a usual 2-hour class would mean you have burned 630 calories. If you take those classes over multiple days of the week, you will have burned a lot of calories overall.

“Unfortunately, the claim that it is 800 calories in one hour is false, even an exercise such as running can only burn around 600 calories an hour, and that is a more intense workout for the body overall.”

Features and Options

TAPfit currently offers two ways to join the experience: an online subscription or a DVD bundle purchase.

TAPfit Online

Access TAPfit’s content anywhere with an internet connection with TAPfit online. You’ll get access to over 100 dance workouts in multiple programs with nutrition plans and recipes that are updated weekly.

The company also shares a schedule of live classes so that you can plan to tap with others in real-time.

Cost: $27/month, all new subscribers receive a seven-day free trial.

TAPFit Transformation System

If you’re not a fan of the subscription model, you can purchase TAPfit transformation systems. You’ll get DVD access to dozens of workouts as well as the fitness equipment needed to get started.

Here are the package deals:

TAPfit Taps

The company’s patented taps have a non-slip runner grip and fit over the sole of any flat-bottom shoe to turn them into dance shoes. They feature stainless steel taps on the heels and toes to produce a distinctive click with each step.

It’s not currently possible to purchase these taps or floor mat without buying one of these three systems.

My Experience with TAPfit

The sign-up process was very simple and I was ready to go within minutes. The TAPfit online portal has a simple layout, with a welcome message and six weeks of classes available on the main page.

You can personalize an online profile by adding photos, joining groups, and connecting with other members. You’ll also gain access to all seven TAPfit courses:

• 28-Day Home Health Challenge
• MOVEnBURN Body Challenge
• TAPfit Advanced
• TAPfit Dance Challenge
• TAPfit Platinum
• TAPfit Starter Series
• TAPfit Workouts

I’m a complete beginner to tap dance, so I started with the TAP Basics class. Instructor Kat Johnson introduced the steps slowly and thoroughly articulated every move so I felt comfortable following along.

Honestly, though, the dance routine wasn’t much fun when I performed it barefoot on the carpet; the brand’s tap shoes and dance mat seem essential to having fun with this workout.

The week one tutorial class built on the basics with a simple warmup and pump up music that quickly put me in workout mode.

Kat’s reminder to swing my arms instead of merely focusing on the footwork helped me get my heart rate up quickly, and I broke a sweat during the warmup.

The class became increasingly more fun, even though I didn’t have the right footwear.

Post warmup was another instructional period with Kat to learn more steps. The slower pace and lack of music pulled me out of the moment until round two of the workout started. Again, the total body moves got my heart rate up quickly.

By the end of the thirty-minute class, I was ready to be finished and was left feeling like I could have gotten in a more efficient workout in other ways. While the dance sessions were fun, I found the frequent instructional breaks made things tedious.

I wanted to see how the class structure changed for different courses, so next challenged myself to a week 5 class workout. Despite not being able to keep up with all the moves, I thought the class pace felt more like a traditional workout.

Kat’s instructions weren’t distracting, though the constantly shifting camera angle actually left me slightly dizzy.

Overall, the classes flowed well with an appropriate amount of instruction. But when it comes to getting in an efficient workout, I was left feeling like there was a lot of wasted time where I could have been working.

Analysis of Customer Reviews

More than 30 customers have left reviews for TAPfit on our website. These reviews average 3.2-stars with a 59% recommendation rating. Here’s a snapshot of their comments.

Compliments:

• Dances are fun and engaging
• Great way to get in shape, especially for people who weren’t active previously
• Wide variety of music choices for different tastes
• Talented, encouraging instructors

Complaints:

• Poor quality video editing, difficulty navigating the main menu
• Delayed delivery, the product never arrived in some cases
• Some users didn’t receive a refund after returning the product

TAPfit vs. Figure 8 Fitness

For those who would instead be dancing at the club than sweating at the gym, another home workout program that promises to get you in shape is Figure 8 Fitness.

Figure 8 Fitness is lead by Latin DanceSport world medal winner Jaana Kunitz. It is offered as a comprehensive program of 14 classes and instructional videos that guide you through progressively challenging your body.

Rather than tap dance, this fitness series focuses on Latin-inspired dance moves to tone your core and get your glutes in gear.

The program is currently offered as a one-time purchase for $47. It’s another $10 if you want to receive DVDs instead of merely having digital access.

It includes all 14 workout sessions, a success tracker, a workout journal, a PDF workout planner guide, a nutritional blueprint, and a faster-paced “Figure 8 Express” series of over 30 ten-minute videos.

As with TAPfit, you can also sign up on a subscription basis. $11.99 per month (or $108 per year) gives you access to more than 100 hours of workout videos, including the full Figure 8 Fitness series and other programs like Figure 8 Ultimate, Figure 8 PRO, and more.

Deciding between these two dance cardio options will likely come down to pricing and your preferred workout style.

TAPfit’s tap dance style workout is more unique, but it’s likely to appeal to a smaller number of people. This program is also more expensive, and frankly, only works if you commit to the company’s patented tap shoes. Without them, the dancing sequences feel lackluster (at least in my experience).

Return Policy

All purchases qualify for a 30-day refund policy for refunds or exchanges. Items are only eligible if they are unused, in the same condition you received it, and in original packaging. Shipping costs are nonrefundable, and in most cases, a restocking fee and will be deducted from the refund.

TAPfit Online membership purchases are ineligible for refunds.

The Bottom Line

TAPfit offers a unique form of exercise that is likely to appeal to those who typically avoid the gym. The engaging dance workouts are easy to learn (even for beginners), and customer reviews indicate that it’s incredibly satisfying to tap along to the beat of the music.

For me, TAPfit wasn’t impressive. The workouts didn’t seem much different than other forms of dance cardio, and I found the classes started and stopped too often to feel like I was getting in the groove. But this is a largely personal opinion, and your experience may differ.

Overall, TAPfit classes will get you moving and burning calories, but you need to be realistic about how many calories you’ll actually burn per session.

In any case, the best kind of exercise is any type that you’ll actually do, so TAPfit is an excellent option if it offers what it takes to get you moving.