Latest from Jessica Smith, 10-21-20 *skip if you hate vague updates*

[Pam61]

I did the Gentle Yoga Plus Pilates (Floor Flow) workout today. Another great workout with Jessica's gentle guidance and superb cueing. Pacing was slow and controlled and variety of exercises was great with predominantly pilates focus. With Jessica's instruction and suggested modifications, this workout is accessible to all fitness levels. You especially see this with much of the balance work in the Standing Practice that I did the other day, since a chair is suggested, if you need to use it. Jessica often says to do an exercise, "to your own degree" so you make the workout work for your ability and fitness level. These new workouts are going to fit in very nicely with the strength series that Jessica has planned.

[Lori_Michigan]

I kind of have a twinchy lower back these days (I attempted to do some heavy weights a few months ago and hurt it doing deadlifts. Argh!). Anyhoo, the roll up at the end of the floor series ended up tweeking my lower back. I didn't feel it until the next day and couldn't figure out how I had bothered it. But a heads up to anyone. Other than that, I also tweeked my wonky shoulder with something in this workout.

I must be getting old if I'm now getting tweeking injuries from Jessica workouts!

[donnamp]

Hi,

I did the floor stretch from the stretch DVD and really enjoyed it - although I did skip one shoulder exercise which seems like an injury waiting to happen - the one where you stretch your arm to the side and then roll towards the extended arm. I don't have bad shoulders, but that one just seems to be one to avoid...at least for me.

I did enjoy all the hip stretches though!

Lori - roll ups and such can be very hard on the low back. One thing to do to help would be to put a small rolled up towel in the small of your back to help w/ that.

Donna

[alisoncooks]

Still unavailable and I'm getting impatient, lol. I tried to tell myself I wasn't in a hurry...but apparently I was. Plus, I'm planning a no-spend after the new year, but I wanted to get this first. Bah.

[fanofladyvols]

Originally Posted by donnamp

Lori - roll ups and such can be very hard on the low back. One thing to do to help would be to put a small rolled up towel in the small of your back to help w/ that.

Donna

Donna great advice!

I use a towel that's been folded over a couple of times. So it's more of a flattened rise for me (like a burrito ) but it makes a world of difference in all sorts of exercises that call for raising your legs up over your head. ( And I do have a wonky back.)

Lori tweaking can happen at any age. But there are tons of form pointers for deadlifts. I don't ever do them at a fast pace anymore because I need more time to brace my core and coordinate my breathing than others. I don't have this workout but does she do the deadlifts quickly?

[Lori_Michigan]

Originally Posted by fanofladyvols

Donna great advice!

Lori tweaking can happen at any age. But there are tons of form pointers for deadlifts. I don't ever do them at a fast pace anymore because I need more time to brace my core and coordinate my breathing than others. I don't have this workout but does she do the deadlifts quickly?

I briefly thought that I could use heavy weights for legs (I really don't know why I thought that) since I'd been going up with my weights and doing okay with it for a few weeks. So I did some deadlifts with I think 35 lbs dumbbells in each hand. Nope. Turns out that jumping up from 15 lbs to 35 lbs is not what this rapidly declining 47-year-old body could do anymore. That was about 2 months ago. I've avoided heavy weights since and don't do any deadlifts anymore. I've also given up any form of planks, push-ups, any sort of weightbearing on the upper body because of it (and a wonky left shoulder).
I didn't think Jessica's roll-ups would bother my wonky lower back, but now I think I just have go in with the mindset that quite literally anything out of the ordinary will bother my growing set of injuries. I'm sure we've all been there, done the same thing at some point...

[suzanne63]

hi I am really getting impatient to hear more about these Lift and Shift LOL.I am really excited about these.I really hope these are DVD.I will do this anyway it is.Has anyone heard anything?

[fanofladyvols]

Originally Posted by Lori_Michigan

I briefly thought that I could use heavy weights for legs (I really don't know why I thought that) since I'd been going up with my weights and doing okay with it for a few weeks. So I did some deadlifts with I think 35 lbs dumbbells in each hand. Nope. Turns out that jumping up from 15 lbs to 35 lbs is not what this rapidly declining 47-year-old body could do anymore. That was about 2 months ago. I've avoided heavy weights since and don't do any deadlifts anymore. I've also given up any form of planks, push-ups, any sort of weightbearing on the upper body because of it (and a wonky left shoulder).
I didn't think Jessica's roll-ups would bother my wonky lower back, but now I think I just have go in with the mindset that quite literally anything out of the ordinary will bother my growing set of injuries. I'm sure we've all been there, done the same thing at some point...

Gracious! That's a huge jump, Lori!
I don't think even my Wonder Woman tank would have given me enough oomph to try that!

[alisoncooks]

Originally Posted by alisoncooks

Still unavailable and I'm getting impatient, lol. I tried to tell myself I wasn't in a hurry...but apparently I was. Plus, I'm planning a no-spend after the new year, but I wanted to get this first. Bah.

Now it says in stock Jan. 14, but you can order. Of course I did! Squeaked it in before my New Year No Buy!!

[Gibbee]

Any word on when Lift & Shift will be released?