Quick Fix Dynamic Stretch & Balance is part of Linda Wooldridge‘s Quick Fix Series. It is free on YouTube but you can also purchase it on her Quick Fix Series DVD w/ 3 other workouts (that have already been reviewed here: Total Body Weight, Total Body Weights and Quick Fix Ballet Box). Linda also has this entire series saved into a YouTube Quick Fix playlist.
This is the final Quick Fix workout of the 4 and, since I loved the other 3 so much, I decided I needed to try this one, too. Especially since I bought the Quick Fix DVD that has all 4 of them on it. And…. I wasn’t impressed. I should have known since the title had the word “balance” in it that I wouldn’t enjoy it. There is a lot of balance work which I had to modify. I cannot do yoga balance poses due to plates and screws in my heels but I usually have no problem modifying a few moves, but there is too much balance work for this to be an effective workout for me. Too much modification needed (for me) to bother returning to it. Besides the balance work, which makes up the middle of the workout, the workout begins with a lot of active (dynamic) stretch moves that actually worked up a sweat. And it ends with floor work and you hold stretches for longer. Not counting the balance work, it wasn’t a bad flexibility workout–intense in the beginning then relaxing at the end.
Quick Fix Dynamic Stretch & Balance is 35 minutes long; the only equipment needed is a mat.
- Starts standing, twisting torso side to side while sweeping arms up and down; add knee lifts; changes to placing toe against inside of knee (tree pose) when doing knee lift and doing the torso twist while holding knee in tree; sweep arms overhead side to side while tapping feet to side
- In plié, sweep arm around to side while pivoting body to side; swing arm across into shoulder stretch when you pivot and when you return to plié squat, push elbow behind you; plié squats while bringing one elbow to thigh while reaching other arm overhead, alternate sides; repeat on other side of body
- Side lunge side to side reaching toward opposite toe
- Start in runners lunge then come up, straightening both legs (hands still on floor) and raising front toe, stretching hamstrings; start in warrior 2 and flow from reverse warrior to side angle; turn forward, legs wide and hands on ground, bend knees into a squat then straighten legs (hands still on floor) stretching hamstrings; repeat on other side of body until you get to the squat and straightens–this time you do them in plié and pulse 3x before you straighten legs (keeping hands on floor); hold forward fold w/ legs together
- Standing w/ feet hip width apart, arms clasped overhead, bend arms/torso to side and hold; warrior 3 hold; seesaw in and out of warrior 3
- Stand on one leg, raise one leg and grab foot and straighten leg while holding foot and hold this pose; bring foot across thigh and pull up on foot; lean forward and touch ground w/ fingertips; repeat on other leg
- Repeat #5 on other side of body
- Standing, twisting torso side to side while sweeping arms up and down; twist torso to side, lift leg then straighten torso to front (leg still raised) then lower leg after holding for a moment, alternate sides
- Seated twisting spine stretch; sit cross-leg and reaching hands forward on floor then walk hands to side (still reaching forward); swing one leg around behind you into pretzel position, place hands on floor behind you and push hips to ceiling; grab back foot and pull it into your glute; straighten leg and lean forward over leg, grabbing foot if possible; open both legs out wide and straight, place hands on ground behind you and press hips forward and hold, then lean forward and hold; repeat everything on other leg
- Cat and cow; child’s pose
For more info on Barlates and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
