04: Cardio & Mobility Fusion | 30 Minutes | No Equipment & Bodyweight Active Recovery Workout!

Hey everybody, I'm Amy from Bodyfit by Amy. And this is your cardio and mobility fusion workouts. This is an all body weight active recovery workout where we are going to fuse some cardio based exercises with some mobility and flexibility. I'll be giving you lots of different options to take it high, to keep it low, to work to your fitness level and also get what you need for where you are today. Are you ready? Let's do it. Let's start just by getting ourselves aligned and getting in touch with our breath. So we're going to start with our feet shoulder width apart. Think about stacking your ears over your shoulders, shoulders over the rib cage, rib cage over the pelvis, pelvis over the knees and the ankles. So breathing through that, let's put your hands over your belly or kind of on your sides and let's practice our diaphragmatic breathing. So big inhale. As you inhale, let's think about expanding not just through your belly, but your back and your sides. Not breathing up or breathing down, but out. Inhale, relax the pelvic floor, relax the muscles. Exhale. Everything comes in to connect. So we're keeping the rib cage stacked over the pelvis. Inhale, and as we exhale, we're bringing in and up. We're not sucking in, we're not relaxing or pushing out. Everything's connecting. So inhale to relax, one more exhale to connect. So from there let's just take a little full body check in. Feel where you may be holding your tension. Let's start at your head and your neck. Can you release through there? Shoulders, upper back? Are you feeling a lot of tension here? Try to let that go. Trying to maintain that alignment, but again, relaxing through that. So are you feeling it in your core, in your pelvis, in your glutes, your hips? You need to do a little shake to relax through that and then down into your legs, down into your feet. So just starting from that point of where am I feeling tension, what am I needing today? And then from there, let's start with just a gentle march. So the way this workout is gonna work is we're gonna get a combination of a lot of different things. We're gonna start with some gentle mobility and then whatever we're working through on that mobility, we're going to take that up to a more cardio based move. But you have the option, you can keep it low impact for some gentle cardio mobility. You can take it a little higher if that's what you're feeling today, you've got the energy. Let's roll those shoulders. You can, of course, keep it with just the mobility and then we'll take it back down to some mobility and finish with a little bit of a deeper stretch. So each progression of exercise will get mobility a little more cardio based, back to mobility and with some flexibility and a stretch. So that's our fusion that we're working with today. Can we take it? Just turn the knees and the hips, reach across through here and this little warm up, we really don't need much of a warm up because we're going to jump right in with mobility. That feels like your warm up. Right? But we'll get a few things here just to get our bodies ready to move and get the blood flowing, get the energy up, get our bodies warm. Let's take it right here, flat back down, and then round it up. So this workout can be whatever you need it to be. Something I always say is be where you are today. What does that mean? That means where are you in your journey? Let's hold here and roll those shoulders. So if you're a beginner, work to your level. If you're working your way up, especially when it comes to mobility and flexibility, no need to push it. We're just going to work through some things. Go ahead, walk those feet in and slowly round it all the way up and back to that little tap out here so you can reach across and be where you are today is also where are you today. If you're feeling like you just need a recovery day, you're feeling stressed, you're feeling anxious, let that reflect in your workout. Just keep it at a level you need to be. If you're feeling high energy or you need to burn off some, some stress in that way, take it up a little bit. If you need more of that stretch, keep it there. This workout is what you need for where you are today. All right, so let's take it back across our body. So I want you to think of this mobility as big stretch across, right? Opening up through those arms and opening up, twisting the knees and the hips. So we're stretching, we're stretching. Can we do a little tap out with it? Right, so we get more of that opening up of the hips right through here. There we go. Whatever pacing is good for you. You can go slower than me, you can go faster than me right here. Now if you want, we can take it to some cardio so you can keep that grounded here with a little tap. Or if you're feeling it, you can Take it to a little more of a hop stuff for a jump, especially if you're barefoot like me. Do what's best for you. Maybe you like the jump, but it doesn't feel good on your feet if you're barefoot. But if you have a good space and it feels good and you want to take it up, take it up. Otherwise, just keep it here with that little tap out. Keep the mobility got. It's about 10 more seconds here. The goal here is not to get that heart rate up as high as it can be. 3, 2, and then back to just the tap across, right? The goal is just to get a little bit of that energy flowing, a little bit of that higher heart rate, and then we go back into here. Now let's take it over your head for some mobility here. And same thing from here, we're getting that big stretch over. Yes. Big reach. Now can you add a little more of that tap, reach, reach going over your shoulder doesn't feel good. You can go back to here or you can just keep it not as high, right? If you want, you can pick up your pace for a little bit of cardio up to your. You. You can also keep that really grounded, but just pick up your pace in speed. If you want to pick up the impact, you can take it here as well. If you're really feeling it, you can take it up to that jumping jack, but you don't have to. It's an active recovery workout. Just a little bit of added intensity is helpful right here. Let's go. 10 more seconds. We'll slow it back to the mobility and then get a little stretch. 3, 2, and 1. So back to here again. Also feeling a little bit of those arms, right? Yes. Two and one. Can we take it here? We're going to do a nice big stretch over, so you can start here. And then if it feels good, if you want to take it, it's a little bit of that warrior pose from yoga. But find something that feels good for you. Stretching through the side, through the arms, and then also opening up in those hips. Take it to that other side, holding it here. Big stretch that's not right for you. Find something that is. Maybe it's just the hip stretch. Maybe your arms need a break. Maybe it's just this. Maybe it's both. And bring it back to center. Let's roll those shoulders. Little gentle march, right? So that's kind of what we're looking at. So some progressions like that. Nothing too crazy, nothing too fancy, but some things to get both the Cardio and the mobility and the good stretch. Right. Speaking of, let's take those feet out wide. Let's do a little hamstring curl. So we're bringing the feet up now. You can start with just this. Maybe this is where you need to do be. So you're still opening up the hips, but if you can, we're going to flex the foot, take it there. Right. Bringing it up. Really good for stretching out the hip flexors. Also contracting those hamstrings, especially after you've done a hard leg workout or even a hard leg exercise. This is a great stretch through those quads. Can we cross our arms in front? Right. Right here again, you can take it grounded. You can take it a little slower. You can do just the arms or just the legs up to you. We're going to keep it crossing at the chest. If you want to add a little more cardio right here. If you want to just keep it mobility, that works too. Find the pace that's good for you. Of course, if you want, you can add a little jump with it. More of that hamstrings. But it's up to you. Right here. Yes, you can breathe and then back to that mobility. Let's take it down in front. Let's actually bring the pans facing up. Little squeeze. Right? Then if you need to tap it down to here. One more option on this. Take it here for the mobility and flexibility. Back to the hamstrings so you can pick up that pace one more time or bring those hands over your head. Now this is tight for me. I can feel those shoulders from sitting too much at my computer and looking at my phone and all the things that bring us forward. So pull down right here. If you want to keep it mobility, keep it here. If you want to up that cardio a bit, pick up your pace. Right here. Yes. Breathe. Ten more seconds and squeeze. Three, two, and one. Back to here. Let's bring those arms down, cross them in front and keep the hamstrings going. If you want. Right here. All right, so from here, let's first open up that chest. So I want you to bring those arms back. Roll the shoulders back. Can you go to here, starting with that? And then can you lift a little more? So we're keeping the thumbs out. Now let's switch thumbs to the back. Turn them around. Can you lift from here to deepen that stretch a little bit? Can you get a little lower? And then one more thing. If you want to grab those hands. Let's hold this stretch so wherever you need to be from that. Maybe it's upright, maybe it's slight hinge. Maybe it's hands together, hands apart. Open it up, feel it here. Three, two, one. All right, team. So if you have access to a wall or something sturdy, you can grab onto countertop couch sturdy chair. Let's tilt that hip forward. So. So we're going to start with this. Just tilting the hip forward to get that hip flexor. And then if you're able, get a little quad stretch. If that's not right for you, just tilt the hip forward. Or you can even prop that foot up on something. But think about tilting the hip forward. Woo. Need that balance. And then looking over your shoulder, you can also get that stretch through the shoulders, through the back. We don't do this stretch enough. I'm to going, I know. And let's turn to that other side. So tilt the hip forward, bring it up if you can. Otherwise, just keep the foot planted. Look over the shoulder. Meet me at the edge of your mat. So we're going to take it here. We're going to go into a hinge position. So you're going to slide the hands down the front of the leg, soften in the knees, drive the hips to the back in that hinge, and then bring it up and open it up. Join me here. Hinge. Slide those hips back. Soft bend slowly bring it up and bring it up. So this is your mobility and your flexibility. Right? We're getting both. And bring it up. Now, you can keep it right here or you can join me with a little inchworm. So we're just going to walk out on our hands, out on the mat. You can walk out to your knees, you can walk out to your toes, or you can stay right here if you're with me. We're going to walk out here. If you need to drop the knees, drop the knees. Feel that nice, good stretch. And then walk yourself back. Soft bend in the knees, slide it up and here. Nice and slow and controlled. So this is both. You're going to start to feel your heart rate get up a little, right? We get that heart rate up, but you're also feeling that mobility work. Right. All down through the back of the legs, through the spine, core, and upper body. Love the inchworm. One of my favorite mobility moves. Right through here and then take it back. Yes, right up. One more at your own pace. And then wherever you are, I want you to meet me back to here and slowly roll it up. Now one more option. Watch me here. You can keep what you're just doing. Let your body recover. Or instead of inchworming it out, you're going to walk it back, walk it in and reach it up. If that's not right for you, you can just do a nice deep squat and then big reach. But if you can, we're going to walk it back to open up those hips. So we're combining these two. We already got a little cardio. Walk it back, walk it up and bring it up right here. Take your time with it right here and bring it up. Up to you. If you need to just do the deep squat, you can just kind of get side to side or even just here and then reach it up here again. This is cardio, right? You're feeling that heart rate get up. If you're feeling it and you want to add a little jump back or jump in, you can. Or you can keep it right here. Do you want it to be here and then walk it in? But again, only if that's right for you. You're going to feel that heart rate either way, even if you're just walking it back. If you're feeling like adding a little plyo, it's good for our joints, it's good for our conditioning, but you don't have to amber. My toes are cold, so I'm feeling it. One more. Just like that right here. Take it in and bring it up. So let's take it out right here. Stretch, mobility, flexibility. Can you press out gently? Maybe you're feeling those quads. Little burn. That's okay. Just like we did in the beginning. Little stretch. Press on the inside. Because we're getting that work through the spine, through our wrist, here to here. And then let's walk those feet in back to that first move, that hinge. You can have hands on top of the legs, balance if you need to, on the wall or hands on the ground. And let's just pedal those feet. You can be here, too. You can still get the pedal, still get that stretch through the hamstrings right here and just shift side to side. Slowly bring it back up through here. Catch your breath. If you need a sip of water, this is a good time to grab it. Hopefully you're feeling all of those things. You're feeling the active recovery, you're feeling the energy from some gentle cardio, and you're finding what you need in this moment. Let's just tap it out right there. All right, team, so you can keep it here or just bring those knees up, opening up the hips, right? So we did hamstrings before. Now we're bringing the knees up. Start with just the lower body. You can even just bring your hands here. If you need to keep it grounded, just keep the tap here. All right, Then up. Starting slow and controlled. And again. I want that movement through the torso and opening of the shoulders. But you can keep it low if that's better for you. If you want to get the reach moving side to side, so knees are slightly out turning in the torso. I want all of this to feel accessible. So if it feels like you're stretching too much or you're bending too much, find the version that gives you the mobility for where you are. Then we can pick up our pace. If we want for a little more cardio, then one more option. We can cross, cross. Still getting mobility, right? Watch my arms, shoulders. But a little more cardio in that heart rate. And if you want, you can even add a little more of that cardio side to side, bringing the knee up. But it's up to you. If this is you, this works too. Yes, right there. We got one more thing after this. Then we're all on the mat. Can you bring it up? 10 more seconds? Little higher intensity for 3, 2, and 1. Bring it down again. So. So relax those legs. I know. I'm feeling my legs, too. I don't know if you are. Now, one more mobility thing before we get that stretch. We're going to bring the heels up. Now, you don't actually have to touch it, but notice, do you feel that tightness? Right? Feeling the work here? Stretch, stretch. You can just go here or here, just tap them forward. If you can add the upper body to that. So arms go here, heels turn in, toes turn out to get that inner thigh right. Still mobility. Could just tap them here, maybe one up, one down. Yeah, that feels better. Yes. Three, two, one. And relax. All right, so wherever you are, grab onto something. And two options. You can just take it here, make sure you have a little balance, or you can take it here, a little stretch through that hip. We're also going to do a version of this on the mat. So if that's not right for you, just take it here, get a little stretch. You want a little balance, so find something to grab onto, stretching into that, pressing that knee down. You can also sit on the edge of a chair or a bench or a couch if that feels better for you. And roll that hip. Same thing. Other side. Now, I know we're keeping these stretches pretty short. That's just for the sake of time today. But certainly if you feel like you have a lot of extra tightness. Even if you don't, it's really good to hold stretches, especially when our muscles are warm, when we'd be doing some something before holding them for longer amounts of time, 30, 40, 60, even 90 seconds, if it's comfortable for you, it gives our muscles time to ease into that stretch. Right through here. All right, team, so let's take it down. If you're comfortable on your knees, if this is not right for you, I want you just to come into a seated position and you can just come get the upper body. All right? But if you can be on the knees or put something underneath the knees, we're getting those hip flexors. Watch me here. We're gonna sit back, we're gonna reach it up, do a little stretch. Arms here, reach it up. So it's a hinge. Sometimes we call this a kneeling squat. And then up and connect. Not hyperextending, but here, sweep those arms back and bring it up here again. If you need to do this seated or standing, if that's better for you and your knees, take it there. Right here. Down and here. So can we hold this one down? Let's reach the arms back. Then let's take them out to the side and then out to the front and then sit back. Child's pose. So I want you to sit into that child's pose starting here. So we're here. Big reach in the front. If you just want to sit into it, relax your head, you can. If you want to try to open up the knees and really reach the fingertips, you can do that as well from here to add a little cardio and core, but also get more of that mobility. We're going to sit back into the child's pose and you can either come up to all fours or come up to that high plank. We often do this in the warm up. So your choice. Child's pose. To all fours, that quadruped position or up to the plank. Up to you. It's going to get a little bit of that upper body working. It's certainly going to engage the core and breathe. Sit back and up. Sit back. And if you can hold this one at the top. So if you're on all fours, you're going to take it to that bird dog. You're going to reach and reach. If you're in your plank, we're going to cross it in and back again. Hip opener. Right, Bird dog. Or cross in. Opening up my hip. And then if you want, just for about 15 seconds, you can take it to a little bit more of that mountain climber. Keep the bird dog if that's right for you or where you are today or just the tap in or a low impact climber to get a little heart rate. 4, 3, 4, 2, 1. Sit back again. Child's pose. And then, team, let's take it into a seated position. Knees opening here. So this is what we call our 90 90, right? We're thinking 90 degrees both ways. It's mobility. So we got that heart rate up. Turn your body here. You can also sit at the edge of a chair or a couch and let the knees hang off in this position. Position. Find what's good for you. So I'm looking over my shoulder for that stretch and then I'm going to rotate. So classic mobility that we love, right? Looking over your shoulder now you can do this just switching, using your core, using your mobility, you can use this with a little bit of balance. One knee at a time, hands behind you. Even if you can't do this from the floor, doing this at the edge of the chair, just getting those hips opening, moving side to side, really good for you. Also for your back. One more each way. And then let's take it into a deep stretch. So you have options here. You can be sitting chair or floor here. If you can take your body, body over into it to get that hip stretch. Or you can take it to any version of that pigeon. So your pigeon looks like this. I find the 90, 90 is a good way to get into it or a good option if this doesn't feel good for you. Now, a lot of times that classic pigeon is all the way parallel. Don't worry about that. Just little shift side to side, feeling that hip stretch. Let your head and neck relax. You may feel better coming up, you may feel better staying down. Your choice. Right here. Breathing into that. And then very carefully, we're going to switch our legs to the other side. So back into that 90, 90 you can be here. You can take it down here or take it into that pigeon stretch. Find what's good for you. Whether that's all the way down, whether that's up. Feeling that stretch. I know. And then we're going to take it all the way down on your back. So on your sides, all the way down. I'm going to move my microphone so I'm not laying on it. Right on it. Coming all the way down. Slowly. Let's just gently pull your knees in one at a time, quick. And we're going to finish with just Straight up mobility. We're not going to worry about cardio anymore. Just some mobility to end on a good stretch, you can take those hands over your head. Maybe that helps. Remember, you can grab underneath the leg or on top of the knee. Whatever feels good for you. Right through here. Hopefully that felt good for you. Hopefully it was just enough of the cardio. Should not be crazy cardio. Not super high impact or super long intervals, but enough to get the heart rate up. And then also lots of mobility, lots of flexibility. This workout really leans into the active recovery side. Certainly I have tons of other cardio workouts. If you're looking for something more intense, bring it here. And if you're able, let's bring both knees in. If that doesn't feel good for you, just keep doing one at a time. But if you can, either grabbing on the top or below or even on the inside and that a little bit of that. Happy baby. But releasing in the back. And let's let your knees drop all the way to one side. Open up the arms, look across. So I like to have palms up because again, I think most of us, their shoulders want to turn forward because of our lifestyle. So taking it here, feeling that stretch, and we're just gonna hang out in that stretch. Feel your back release. And then let's slowly take those knees over to the other side. And again, palms up, looking across your body. And if that doesn't feel right for you, you can, of course, just bring your feet in and take those arms out. But again, let's think about that. Full body check in. Start at the top of your head. Do you feel like you've got more release in your jaw and your head and neck and your shoulders? And let's let your body come to a comfortable position on the mat. Arms out or arms down, but let's still try to keep those palms up and just let your body relax into the mat. Again, starting at the top of your body, check in. See if you can get everything to release. You can stay here as long as you need. Don't forget to leave me a comment. Let me know how you feel after subscribe to the YouTube channel. Check us out on the Body Fit by Amy app. But thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you feel better than when you started. I know I do. Breathing into it, letting your body sink. And just from here, we're just gonna get one big, deep breath in. You can do the arms or not do the arms. One big deep breath in. Big reach. And out. You did it. That was your cardio and mobility fusion workout. Great job, everybody.