Peace, Love & Cardio is another Ellen Barrett workout I checked out from the library. It is a very gentle cardio fusion workout. It is not entirely low impact unless you are following the modifier. It’s still gentle, even with the bit of impact. This is definitely a feel good workout and much easier than the other two Ellen Barret workouts I have done so far (Yogini and Stretch Sculpt). I did this in combination with Linda Wooldridge‘s Fusion Flow: Dynamic and this felt like a nice cool down that still gave me some work. I really enjoyed this workout. However, the front of this DVD says “Get Super Fit”–this workout will not get you super fit. But used in conjunction with some of Ellen’s other workouts (Yogini and Stretch Sculpt)–you will get fit! If you are a beginner, or rehabilitating then this workout is perfect. I am currently limited to low impact so I modified one of the impact moves in this workout and I noted below how I did that (#1). I am also not allowed to do any plank-based moves, so on #16, when you go to plank, I just went straight into down dog. Finally, #12 “hopscotches” are some mild impact, but I still consider those a low impact move and did them as presented by Ellen.
This workout is not available for free on YouTube like the other two Ellen Barrett workouts I’ve done so far, but here is a clip in case you want to preview it before buying.
Peace, Love & Cardio is 30 minutes, 4 minute warm up (warm up is marching in place, V steps and shoulder circles with wide plie squats) and 2:30 minute stretch (there are some balance moves during the stretch). Ellen and crew are barefoot. There is a beginner modifier who keeps the workout low impact.
- V steps from warm up change to jumping forward from narrow stance to wide legs (shallow squat jump) (I just stepped out into a wide squat)
- Narrow plie squats (heels together)
- Repeat 1 & 2
- Narrow plie squat then tap toe out to side at top of move
- Repeat 1 & 4
- Repeat #4 but instead of a toe tap out to side, do a straight leg lift out to side
- Repeat 1 & 6
- Alternate reaching arms overhead w/ side leans
- Circle torso overhead (reaching arms overhead), to side then to floor (reaching hands to floor) then up to other side and back to top (arms overhead again)
- Raise and lower one knee out to side of body, arms are overhead, bring same side elbow down to knee as you raise knee
- Repeat 8-10
- V steps; V steps change to “hopscotches”–stepping feet out wide and doing 4 fast wide jogs then return to start
- Narrow pulse squats (chair pose squats); changes to holding hands together in prayer and twisting elbow to outside of opposite knee while continuing to pulse, repeat on other side, one pulse squat with torso/arms facing forward then stand
- Repeat 12 & 13
- Deep breathes while marching in place
- Wide marches; changes to wide stationary toe taps, alternating sides; changes to stationary side lunges, alternate sides; changes to 4 alternating stationary side lunges + pulsing 4x to one side; the pulse to one side changes to lowering hands to either side of foot so you are in low lunge, bringing front foot back to other foot so you are in plank then pushing hips back to down dog, returning foot to between hands so you are back in low lunge then returning to side lunge
- Stationary side lunges, alternate sides while also doing figure 8 arms; add the end of #16 (down dog/lunge move) after every 4 stationary side lunge w/ figure 8 arms
- With legs wide, round torso down between legs then round back back up to standing
- Wide plie pulse squats; add raising one heel
- With legs wide and straight, twist torso toward one leg and hinge forward at waist bringing head down toward floor then raise back up to standing and return to facing forward
- Wide plie pulse squats with other heel raised
- Repeat #20 to other side of body
- Wide plie pulse squats, lifting one heel 4x, other heel 4x then alternate raising heels as you continue pulsing; changes to pulsing with both heels raised
- Repeat #18
