JessicaSmithTV: Pilates Yoga Fusion Flow

Pilates Yoga Fusion Flow was just what I needed this morning after the past few days of brutal workouts. I needed something lower key and this delivered. With this workout, Jessica Smith has created a more gentle PiYo-like workout. I use PiYo to describe a lot of things but other similar workouts would be Linda Wooldridge‘s Yoga Barre Fusion or Michelle Dozois‘s BodyFit 360 Vol 1–except not nearly as advanced as any of them. So a dynamic yoga/pilates fusion that will not wear you out. I really enjoyed it this morning. You are working–so it’s not a gentle yoga workout. There is some body weight strength, some dynamic flexibility, some core work and even very mild cardio. I was perspiring. Definitely not dripping sweat, but my brow was damp! It is low impact and there is some balance work but it is easily modifiable. The majority of the workout is done standing but for the final portion you move to the mat. And the last 5 minutes there is no music.

Pilates Yoga Fusion Flow is 65 minutes long. No equipment needed except a mat.

1. Side to side stretching, reaching arms overhead; arm swings with mini squats, rounding back
2. Pulsing chair pose w/ arm swings; forward fold
3. Pulsing wide plie squats; step from wide plie to chair pose
4. Lunge side to side while in wide plie squat
5. Wide squat pulse while rounding and releasing back
6. Swing arms side to side while circling them overhead while sweeping leg across body–alternate sides; leg sweep changes to knee raise angled to side
7. Alternate stepping leg back while raising arms overhead; step back changes to leg raise
8. In split stance, hinge torso forward then straighten, raising arms overhead; add lifting leg as you hinge forward; remain hinged forward with leg raised behind you–in this position do a small pulsing squat while pressing straight arms upward at sides
9. Passe lift (bend and raise knee, tapping toe to inside of opposite knee); add bow and arrow pull w/ arms while twisting torso
10. Step side to side while sweeping one foot in front of the other and tapping toe while pressing straight arms behind you (she calls it “dynamic hundred”); remain on one side, tapping toe while still pressing arms behind you; hold leg stationary (raised a few inches off ground) and pulse arms back faster; repeat the side to side version then do the one leg version on other leg
11. In wide plie, shift side to side, arms extended straight out to sides; hold to one side and pulse; hold warrior 2; hold side angle; hold reverse warrior; alternate between side angle and reverse warrior; hold reverse warrior while straightening front leg; repeat on other side of body
12. Feet forward but separated wider than shoulder width and shift side to side while swinging arms side to side; lean forward w/ flat back w/ arms extended straight out to sides, twist torso bringing one arm to floor while reaching other arm overhead–alternate sides, windmilling arms
13. Flowing triangle pose (lowering hand toward foot then straightening); hold triangle then return to the flowing triangle but faster this time
14. Repeat #12
15. Repeat #13 on other side of body
16. Forward fold then step one leg back so you are in runners lunge, tap back leg in beside front leg then step back out 8x
17. Crescent lunge, twist torso to one side then to the other, extending arms straight out to side each time you twist
18. Repeat 16 & 17 on other leg
19. Alternate knee raises while swinging arms overhead and behind you
20. In split stance, hinge forward at hips and pull one arm back and down (Jessica calls it a bow and arrow, but it is more of a one arm row sans dumbbell)
21. Straighten torso (still in split stance) and raise arms over head, raise back knee while sweeping arms across the raised knee, rotating torso toward raised knee
22. Repeat #20 on same side but this time lift back leg each time you pull back arm
23. Repeat #21
24. Repeat 20-23 on other side of body
25. Plank squats (in straight arm plank, lower hips to heels then return to plank)
26. Modified side plank (bottom knee on ground) and raise and lower top leg; keep top leg lowered and raise top arm overhead then thread it beneath body; rotate body so you are in bird dog and hold
27. Cat/cow stretch; changes to cat/down dog stretch
28. Repeat 25-27 (26 on other side of body)
29. Child’s pose
30. Modified boat pose (Jessica calls it V sit); raise arms overhead while in modified boat then lower arms to sides while lowering and straightening body but still keeping legs and shoulders off floor
31. Lay on back, knees bent and raised (feet off floor) and hands behind head–do basic crunches in this position; add extending one leg w/ each crunch (alternate legs)
32. Double bicycle pulse
33. Hip raises in bridge; changes to marching legs while holding bridge
34. Repeat 31 & 32 (this is where music ends–so no more music for the remaining 5 minutes of the workout)
35. March legs while in bridge pose
36. Spinal twist stretch
37. Corpse pose

For more info on JessicaSmithTV and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.