I am always interested in low impact cardio workouts and just about any workout Jessica Smith creates so I gave this one a try. I didn’t realize until I started this workout that this is #2–there is a Cardio Mat Fusion #1 that I now have to try. I really enjoyed this workout but first I have to clarify that this is not a Cathe level low impact workout. This is more like one of Cathe’s more vigorous warm ups. It is still a great little workout that I enjoyed, but it isn’t super intense. This workout will give you some steady state cardio and will be easy on your joints. And it’s fun, just like most of Jessica’s workouts are. Peanut was being very needy near the end of the workout.
During this workout Jessica points out that HIIT workouts are great for you but they aren’t the only way to train. Endurance cardio such as this workout is also good for you, plus it makes you feel good and if your workouts don’t make you feel good, it’s not worth it. Life is too short to do workouts you don’t enjoy (paraphrasing). What a great message to share! One I am trying to keep in mind more these days–which is probably why I am gravitating so much toward Jessica’s workouts. I enjoy them and they really do make me feel good. I used to beat myself into the ground every single day (with my workouts). But now I am trying to balance out the intense workouts with effective yet more intermediate level workouts such as Jessica’s workouts (though she has some pretty intense ones, too). I am so glad I discovered her workouts.
Cardio Mat Fusion 2 is 35 minutes long w/ a 1:30 minute stretch. I don’t know when warm up ends and the workout begins. The workout consists of moves like plie variations, side to side squats, side leg lifts, knee pulls, alternating knee raises, rotating twists (touch toe w/ opposite hand at a brisk pace) and lots of side step variations. She does a move that is similar to Cathe’s low impact Fred Astaire move (it’s probably the most intense move in the workout). You also do some flowing chair pose variations, plank runs (alternate bending knees while in straight arm plank) and what she calls chair to plank (start in straight arm plank, bend knees pushing hips back then return to plank). The workout ends with core work: in modified boat w/ ankles crossed, raise and lower torso and legs; changes to shifting from hip to hip.
For more info on JessicaSmithTV and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
This is one of my favorites for those days when I need something gentler. I love her positive messages. She got me back into exercise after years of doing nothing, because I had that “all or nothing” mentality. Once I embraced the “anything is better than nothing” way of thinking, I committed to working out. And I’ve been going strong for 4+ years.
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That’s awesome! I can definitely see that. Lately I am getting tired of doing plyometrics day in and out. I love Cathe, but I don’t want to tuck jump so often! I used to love that kind of thing and now I cannot motivate myself to do my Insanity workouts. I’m starting to tell myself that that is ok–I can still get great and intense workouts without killing myself. That is one of the reasons I’ve become so obsessed with Barlates and Jessica Smith lately. They are taking the place of crazy jump training I used to do that doesn’t interest me as much anymore.
And that is what is important. I do love Jessica’s positive messages. I love to workout and I want to continue to workout but if I keep pushing myself to do things that maybe my aging body doesn’t want or need to do anymore then I might stop loving it.
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