Lift, Move & Restore: Functional Pilates Fusion

This workout is part of Cathe Friedrich’s Lift, Move & Restore program. This program contains workouts for people who are fit but aging and want to take things down a notch but also want to age well. She notes that these workouts can also be used as recovery workouts for advanced exercisers.

Functional Pilates Fusion contains two workouts; the main workout, which is 34 minutes, and an 18:30 minute lower body foam rolling bonus. I am not a fan of pilates workouts but I do like fusion workouts so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The main workout is not like any Pilates workout I have ever done before and I love it. It is not intense but I did feel it everywhere. It is a combination of core and mobility, flexibility and strength, all “fused” together in an absolutely wonderful workout. Once she works you nicely she gives you a long, feel good stretch. This is another feel good recovery level workout.

The lower body foam rolling workout is not a true foam rolling workout. You do some foam rolling in the beginning but it is not traditional foam rolling. You are literally rolling the muscles. Normally when foam rolling you would roll slowly and stop on trigger points so the pressure helps release muscle/fascia. This is just a quick roll out of lower body muscle groups. Then you move on to lower body strength training using the foam roller. It’s not an advanced or difficult workout but some of the exercises are a bit challenging. I combined it with the Anytime Mobility Bonus and the upper body foam rolling bonus (both are included in this series). It was a really enjoyable recovery day workout. I finished it all off with long stretch session. This would also work great as a warm up before any lower body workout. I think it would also work great combined with the main workout but personally I would do this workout before the main pilates workout rather than how the main premix does it (it tacks the bonus onto the end). The rest of the premixes do mix the main workout and the bonus up in various ways. I have not previewed any of the premixes so I do not know if Cathe actually structured them logically (adding the main workout stretch to the end of all premixes) but when/if I do, I will return to this post and update it with that info.

Functional Pilates Fusion is 33:50 minutes; no designated warm up and 5:30 minute stretch. Equipment: large foam roller, light tension glute/booty band, yoga/pilates ball and fitness mat.

1. Hip hinge (stand with foam roller on one end in front of you and palms resting on other end, hinge torso forward while pushing foam roller away from you, when you stand do a large arm circle with one arm, repeat this combo and circle the other arm)
2. Squat overhead reach (hold one end of foam roller in each hand, lower into squat while lifting and reaching foam roller in front of you, raise out of squat and when you are standing, raise foam roller overhead)
3. Knee lift (still holding one end of foam roller in each hand, extend arms/foam roller straight in front of you at shoulder level, do alternating knee raises; changes to 2 knee raises on the same leg then 2 on the other leg; changes to a balance challenge–lift one knee, keep it raised and lift foot so you it is a straight leg raise, bend knee then lower foot to ground, repeat on other leg)
4. Cat cow (get on knees on mat, foam roller is on floor in front of you, palms rest on foam roller, round spine into cat then roll foam roller out so you are in child’s pose)
5. Chest expansion (lay vertically on foam roller so it is under head, along spine and glutes, extend arms to ceiling w/ palms facing each other, do scapular retractions, lift arms and shoulders toward ceiling while keeping spine grounded on foam roller then release; extend one arm overhead while lowering other arm to side, alternate arms; add a double pulse at each end of the arm extension; extend arms out to sides into a T letting backs of hands rest on mat; reach arms overhead with palms facing ceiling, pull elbows down to ribs then push them back overhead)
6. Forward fold / side tilt (sit on mat with legs open wide and foam roller on floor between feet, place palms on foam roller, roll hands forward over foam roller into a forward fold; bring foam roller back between feet and hold one end of foam roller in each hand, lift one end toward ceiling while keeping the other end anchored to floor so you are in a side stretch, alternate sides)
7. Spinal decompression (lay on back w/ knees bent and feet on mat, foam roller is under knees, lift hips and roll foam roller under glutes/low back, hands hold ends of foam roller, lift bent legs letting knees fall towards chest; in this position, bicycle the legs in large exaggerated motions; hips are still on foam roller, raise straight legs to ceiling and open them into a V, from this position “helicopter” the legs–rotate one forward toward head while rotating the other leg down, alternate positions as if tracing a large circle with the legs; scissor straight legs)
8. Ball exchange lunge (get yoga/pilates ball, hold ball in one hand, step out into a side lunge while passing ball under leg to other hand, when you raise out of lunge lift leg out to side while raising both arms to pass ball to back to first hand)
9. Bear crawl tilt and tap (get on hands and knees and hug ball between knees, raise knees off mat so you are on hands and toes, rotate lower body to one side and lower legs tapping one knee to mat, return legs under you and tap both knees to mat, rotate lower body to other side and tap other knee to mat)
10. C curve roll (sit on mat with legs extended, heels on mat and knees partially bent, ball is between hands, do a full sit up while rolling ball between hands speed bag style (but hands are flat not fisted))
11. Mermaid (sit on mat with one leg in front of you with knee bent so sole of foot is close to other knee, other leg is behind you with knee bent and heel of foot near glutes (pretzel position), foam roller is on floor near front knee, place one hand on foam roller, roll arm out into a side bend while reaching other arm overhead and to side, then roll back up to start)
12. Pizza press / up over / hydrant (place glute band around thighs above knees, get on hands and knees, lift one bent leg up behind you and push/pulse sole of foot up to ceiling; extend one leg out straight behind you, lift straight leg and arc it over other leg and tap the floor outside of other foot, return to start; still on hands and knees, cross one ankle over the other, raise and lower one leg (top leg) to side with knee bent (hydrant on an angle); changes to pulses at top of lift)

Lower Body Foam Rolling Bonus is 18:33 minutes with a 1:25 minute stretch. Equipment: foam roller and fitness mat. If a move is done on one side of the body it is also done on the other side of the body.

1. Glutes (sit on foam roller, legs are extended and hands are on mat behind you, roll back and forth along foam roller; tilt knees to side and shift onto one hip/side glute and continue rolling)
2. Hamstrings (same starting position as #1 but foam roller is now under hamstrings, roll foam roller back and forth along foam roller)
3. Calves (same as 1 & 2 except foam roller is now under calves and you are keeping glutes lifted off mat)
4. Quadriceps / IT band (get into forearm plank with foam roller under quads, roll forward and back over foam roller; turn so foam roller is under side of thigh and roll the IT band)
5. Inner thigh (lay on stomach on mat, one leg is extended straight and the other is bent and pulled up to side, place roller under thigh of bent leg and roll out inner thigh)
6. Calf press (stand with foam roller on end in front of you and both hands resting on other end, raise and lower calves using foam roller for stability)
7. Same starting position as #6 but turn toes out to sides, raise onto toes and lower into a squat w/ knees open, pulse at bottom of squat
8. Same starting position as #7, raise onto toes, lower into squat, raise out of squat then lower the heels
9. Plie squat (foam roller is in same position as 6-8, open legs wide w/ toes turned out, lower into plie squat and pulse 3x before raising out of squat; continue this move but w/ heels raised)
10. Side to side lunges (foam roller is in same starting position as 6-9, legs are open wide, do stationary alternating side lunges, pass foam roller hand to hand as you lunge, you start shallow then go deeper into the lunges)
11. Crossback lunge (hold foam roller in both hands in front of you, hands are under foam roller so it is resting on palms, do alternating crossback/curtsy lunges, when in lunge hold briefly and give the foam roller a little toss upward)
12. Glute bridge (lay on back, knees are bent with feet on foam roller, lift hips into bridge and hold; add marching–lifting one bent leg, alternate legs)
13. Inner thigh lift (lay on side, foam roller lays in front of you, top bent leg rests on top of foam roller, lift and lower bottom leg–you will be pointing and flexing your foot)

Premixes:

• Main Program + Bonus – 51:10 minutes
• Timesaver #1 – Foam Rolling Only – 22:21 minutes
• Timesaver #2 – Foam Rolling & Ball – 24:11 minutes
• Timesaver #3 – Foam Rolling & Ball – 27:13 minutes

Mish Mosh

• Scrambled #1 – Main + Bonus – 45:01 minutes
• Scrambled #2 – Main + Bonus – 28:25 minutes