Every time I think I have done all of Jessica Smith‘s YouTube yoga and stretch routines I run across another one. I recently stumbled across Strong Stretch, which was posted 4 years ago. I am not sure how I missed it. The title apparently signifies that you are stretching to work out muscle soreness and do some core work (strengthening). It is a very dynamic yoga/flexibility routine that combines some body weight strength work with flexibility. You get a bit of core work in there, too. This was a very nice and relaxing yoga routine. I did Jessica’s Yoga Sculpt first and finished it off with this routine. Peanut is present and being very cute–she does little whines and snorts.
Strong Stretch is 36 minutes long. Starts standing with deep breaths. Side leaning stretches. Shoulder rolls. Hinge forward while also reaching arms forward and when you stand, extend torso back arching spine. Side to side reaches. Hinge forward and hold; extend straight arms in front of you then pull arms back into goal post arms–first do both arms together then changes to alternating arms. Forward fold; clasp hands behind back and stretch chest. Stand and tilt torso back, extending/arching spine. Narrow plie squats (heels together, toes turned out); add alternating side reaches. Extend/arch spine, reaching arms wide and straighten, reaching arms overhead. In wide plie, bend one knee, lunging to one side (right angle) and return to start–flow back and forth; add arm reaches; ends w/ holding right angle pose. Pivot into a deep lunge w/ hands on floor then reach one arm toward the sky and hold. Raise up into a lunge (hands on thigh) then straighten legs so you are in a split stance, in this position, raise arms overhead then twist to side, lowering arms and opening them wide to side, lunging while you do this–flow between these two positions; it ends holding lunge pose with arms open and torso twisted to side. Forward fold and walk hands out into plank. Upward dog, return to plank and bring one knee under body towards chin, alternate legs, flowing from up dog to bringing knee to chin under body. Child’s pose. On hands and knees, place one hand behind head, bring elbow under you to touch other elbow then raise elbow up to ceiling, keeping hand behind head. Raise arm to ceiling (hand no longer behind head) then bring arm underneath body (thread the needle pose but with hips raised), wrapping other arm behind you and hold this pose. Cat and cow; add bringing one knee in under body when rounding back, knee to nose, the extend leg out behind you when arching back. Pigeon pose. Sit cross-leg and sway torso side to side then forward and back. With hands on floor beside hips, tuck hips, rounding spine and lift hips off floor, keeping belly contracted. Modified boat pose. Butterfly stretch. C-sit feet on floor, hands gripping thighs–in this position, roll torso down then lift back up and straighten spine; continue but release hands from legs. Seated forward fold; changes to sitting up straight w/ arms overhead, lean forward into forward fold, reaching for toes then straighten torso raising arms overhead again; ends in seated forward fold. Legs still extended straight in front of you, bend one knee and bring it across other thigh, with arms extended straight to sides, twist torso to side and back in this position, twisting spine; ends w/ elbow pressed against bent thigh, holding spine twist. Lay on back, knees pulling into chest, hands on shins, and rock hips side to side. In same position, extend legs while also extending arms overhead (head/shoulders raised) then bring knees back into chest and hands back to shins. Sit on bottom, knees bent and feet on floor, hands on floor behind you, raise hips into crab/table top and lower (continue to raise and lower hips); ends holding crab. From crab, bring torso forward so you are squatting/crouching, hands on floor, raise hips into forward fold and roll back up to standing. Ends with deep breaths.
For more info on JessicaSmithTV and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
One thought on “JessicaSmithTV: Strong Stretch”