Feel Good Fusion with Jessica Smith: Barefoot Cardio, Strength, Pilates, Barre and Yoga Mix DVD, Fat Burning, Sculpting, Toning Low Impact Exercise (No Floor Work)

I have completed each of these workouts three times now. The first two times I completed the workouts on separate days, optionally followed by a yoga stretch workout. On this third time, I decided to complete the workouts together, first the strength workout and then the cardio, followed up by 15 minutes of stretching and In felt fantastic after. I don't normally do such long workouts anymore, but I am glad I used the opportunity while on holiday break. The two workouts flowed really well together. Since I was doing the workouts back-to-back I wore shoes during the strength workout, and then went barefoot for the cardio.The Fusion Strength workout is about 47 minutes. On the DVD Jessica recommends using 2-8 pounds for weights. I stuck with 5 as I usually do for her high-rep lighter weight workouts. With 5 lbs. I was able to enjoy the full range of motion with the arm movements and maintain the flowing feel and good form, rather than focused on lifting as much as I can. Jessica starts with a 7 minute flowing warmup that includes arm movements before starting into the weights. Once the weights are picked up, she uses compound movements working out both the upper and lower body at the same time, providing a nice light cardo effect. For upper body she alternates between more flowing movements with a large range of motion, and more traditional strength exercise such as bicep curls. Even though the full workout is done standing, there is good core engagement throughout. At 37 minutes she drops the weights and completes the workout with some standing core work and stretch.The Flow Cardo workout is 35 minutes. She starts with a warmup, even including the feet. As someone with plantar fasciitis in my right foot, I really appreciate that she remembers the feet! She keeps the legs moving and combines it with sweeping arm movements, giving a nice moderate cardio effect, engaging the core, and helping improve upper body mobility. At 29.5 minutes, the workout winds down with a nice yoga flow and stretches.I really enjoyed both workouts on this DVD and felt they were effective and also lived up to their 'feel good' name. I see that Jessica has included them in her Walk Strong 6 week master schedule, but I think they would also go well with the Walk On program as neither workout includes floor work.

I like this video very much. It gives you a good workout, even though the weights used are very light. The slight cardio effect is also appreciated. Some of Jessica's moves I have not done before so it made me feel slightly sore the next day.All in a good buy and good workout and happy with my purchase.

I normally do moderate to high intensity workouts (aerobics, step aerobics with risers, kickboxing, etc.) interspersed with some yoga, weights, etc.,. Most of my favorite videos are by Cathe Fredriech. Anytime I've tried any other instructor, the video ended up getting donated. So, I was worried that I might be wasting my money by trying this. I am happy to say that I have now done both workouts on this video - 2 times each. I am very happy with them. They different from anything that I've ever done before. I use these workouts on my 'light' days, because I have trouble taking a day off from working out. The video has been described in good detail by other reviewers, so I won't repeat. I'll just mention that I really like having a workout that doesn't require a lot of equipment and doesn't involve me having to be on the floor. I have pets, and sometimes I just look forward to skipping vacuuming for a day.My left knee and ankle aren't the greatest, but I have no problems doing these exercises. Those with extremely bad knees, however, might want to talk to their doctor or see if your library has this video to check out and try before purchasing. It is gentle for me, but for those with really bad knees, this routine (like many routines) is going to have you bending those knees a lot - make sure that it well help you strengthen them rather than weaken or damage them.Jessica does use the phrase "a couple more" a few times, which throws me off a bit. A couple to me means two, but when she uses this cue, it seems to mean four - not a big deal, but I depend heavily on cues. Because of the way I have my exercise program set up, it's awhile before I do the same video again, making it difficult to memorize them. The music was an odd choice ( in my opinion) but something I got used to. While the background view is nice, there are times that it seems to affect the lighting (contrast between Jessica & the background) - not a lot, but I tend to be easily distracted by the smallest of things.My favorite thing about the video is that it encourages me to work on coordination. So, while the exercises are not as hard as what I'm used to, they do require one to think a bit to make sure that the arms are going the correct direction while the legs are doing something else. I like things that challenge me - doesn't matter if it's physically, mentally, etc. It's not hard, though. Jessica might have you start doing the leg movements for a few moves and then add the arms, so it's not like you're just stumbling around trying to figure out what she's doing. I have no idea what I actually look like while doing these exercises, but they seem to flow, and I feel graceful.The two routines are different enough from each other that I feel that I get something special from each one. In both routines, Jessica helps you warm up, flow nicely into the workout, and cool down. If you want high impact, high intensity, etc., this isn't it, but you get two nice gentle workouts that aren't difficult, but if done properly, will cause you to 'glow' rather than drip sweat and will elevate your heart rate slightly and maintain it there. No fatigue or soreness afterward, but my body feels like it's healthy and like it's been moving in ways that are good for it. It's hard to explain and was a bit different for me, but I like it.I will NOT be donating this video. It's a keeper. I also felt the price was fair (just under 15) for the two workouts. I would recommend this video.