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 Yoga Fusion contains two workouts. The main workout is a 41 minute yoga flow and the 23 minute bonus is “restorative” yoga which is similar to yin yoga. In yin yoga you hold poses for a very long time and it can get pretty uncomfortable. Restorative yoga also holds poses for a long time but uses a bolster to make it more comfortable so you can relax into the stretches. Cathe uses yoga blocks in place of a bolster. The first time I did these workouts I did the premix that combines them. You do the main workout, skipping only the final resting pose and finish with the restorative yoga bonus which has its own final resting pose. It makes for a lovely hour long session of flexibility and mobility. There are no advanced poses and Cathe shows a modification for anything that may cause an issue. I did not break a sweat doing this workout but found it very worthwhile for a recovery day. I got some deep stretches (both dynamic and static) and some mobility. You start with the more active sun salutations, move into standing poses then she takes you to the mat. A very feel good workout.
Functional Yoga Fusion is 41:28 minutes; 2:40 minute warm up. Equipment: a fitness mat. A yoga block is optional.
- Sun salutations (take deep breaths raising arms out to sides and overhead; forward fold into down dog, pedal the feet; knee plank into child’s pose then round back into cobra; return to down dog then back into forward fold)
- Repeat #1 w/ the following changes: instead of knee plank you are on your toes, lower body slowly to the mat then raise into a low bent elbow cobra
- Repeat #2 but this time instead of cobra do an upward facing dog
- Cat cow
- Child’s pose
- Warrior series (downward facing dog, lift one leg to ceiling and bend knee bringing heel to glutes (3 legged dog) then step leg under body into kneeling lunge, raise both arms to ceiling, return to 3 legged dog then step leg under body and raise into a deep lunge (knee is still elevated) w/ arms extended straight in front of you; lift arms overhead into crescent lunge; return to 3 legged dog then step leg under body and raise into Warrior 2; flow between side angle and reverse warrior)
- Cat cow
- Return #6 on other side of body
- Single leg twist (stand with weight on one leg and other heel lifted so toe is on the ground, hands on hips, in this position open/twist hips side to side; raise leg and tap fingers to either side of thigh, in this position open hips side to side; repeat the raised leg version w/ hands on hips)
- Chair to diver (chair pose; raise onto toes while still holding chair pose; remaining on toes, straighten legs while hinging forward at hips and extending arms behind you)
- Warrior 3 (hinge forward at hips while lifting one leg up straight behind you keeping hands on hips, Cathe is using yoga blocks to assist)
- Seated star to figure 4 (butterfly pose w/ hands on mat behind hips; lift hips off mat and cross one ankle over knee, lower glutes back to mat for a figure 4 stretch; in half lotus pose, place opposite arm across top leg and twist torso, other arm is on mat behind you; lift back arm and do a side bend, reaching arm overhead to other side)
- Lizard (deep lunge w/ both hands on floor beside front foot; lower to elbows (Cathe uses a yoga block))
- Forward fold to spinal rotation (sit on mat with legs extended straight in front of you, extend arms overhead then fold forward over legs reaching hands toward feet; bend one knee placing insole against inner thigh over other leg, hinge forward again)
- Seated twist (still sitting on mat, one leg is extended and the other leg is bent with the foot on the floor outside of the other leg, twist toward bent leg, placing arm on outside of knee to assist and twist spine to look behind you)
- Superman (lay on your stomach with arms extended in front of you, lift arms and chest and hold, pull elbows down to ribs, push them back in front of you then lower arms and chest, repeat this but this time also raise legs, alternate between just raising the upper body and doing a full superman)
- Child’s pose
- Final resting pose (lay on back with hands resting on stomach; changes to fetal pose)
- Sit cross-leg w/ hands on knees with eyes closed taking deep breaths; take a deep breath reaching arms overhead then bringing them together in prayer
Restorative Yoga Bonus is 23:18 minutes. Equipment: fitness mat and 2 yoga blocks. Each pose is held for several minutes.
- Bridge pose (lay on back with one yoga block under small of back and glutes, knees are bent with feet on mat and arms resting on mat)
- Butterfly pose (lay back on mat, knees bent and soles of feet together, knees are open to sides, yoga blocks are under knees)
- Fish pose (lay on back, one yoga block is under mid back and the other is under your head–there are multiple ways that the blocks can be rotated/positioned and Cathe shows them all)
- Pigeon pose (one knee is bent in front of you and one is extended straight behind you, one block is under glute of bent leg and other block is under the forehead)
- Supine spinal twist (lay on one side with bottom leg extended straight, top leg is bent and knee rests on block in front of you, open arms to sides in a T)
- Final resting pose (lay on back with blocks under knees, arms rest on mat)
- Fetal pose
- Sit cross-leg w/ hands on knees with eyes closed taking deep breaths; take a deep breath reaching arms overhead then bringing them together in prayer
Premixes:
- Main Program + Bonus – 59:27 minutes (contains both full workouts except w/ the main program the final resting pose is omitted)
- Timesaver #1 – Sun Salutations & Warrior – 23:37 minutes
- Timesaver #2 – Floor Yoga – 18:40 minutes
- Timesaver #3 – Balance & Restorative Yoga – 31:30 minutes
- Timesaver #4 – Sun Salutations & Restorative Yoga – 33:32 minutes
