LMR: Low Impact Cardio 1-month rotation for January 2025

[FiddleFit]

Hello! I'm planning on doing the Low Impact Cardio rotation in the Lift, Move & Restore User Guide. I'll be subbing whatever suits my mood on the cardio days, as I'm not a fan of HIIT training. I prefer steady-state fun, choreographed cardio such as Step Sync. I will also be adding LMR bonuses when I have time.

Please join me, if this rotation is appealing to you.

In a few minutes I'll be doing Functional Upper Body, and adding some easy cardio. Here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada it's a snowy, cold -21C (-6F), with the sun almost set at 4:00pm, and I'm sticking to inside activities. The Christmas dinner turkey carcass is simmering in a pot of water on the stove to create a soup broth. It smells delicious. I'm happily ensconced in this winter afternoon. What a great way to start off a new year!

Edited 2 hours later to say: workout completed. This one is rather nice, isn't it? Slow paced, I broke a light sweat. I went one increment higher than Cathe in all the weight choices and could probably go a bit higher, still.

 

[FiddleFit]

Woohoo! I completed LMR Functional Lower Body today. One of my all-time favourite workouts! My heartrate gets up there, I sweat, and my hips feel delicious at the end of it all. Bootylicious!

I was meant to do this workout yesterday, but had a family matter that needed my attention so only had a chance to do a 30 minute yoga routine from Blissology On Demand (Eoin Finn), called Peace & Possibility. If I get a chance to do a 30 minute cardio of choice today, I'll be back on track with the rotation. And if not, oh well.

 

[FiddleFit]

I completed Day 4 of the rotation, doing LMR Functional Yoga Fusion, and a 15 minute indoor walking workout with Get Fit With Rick (free workouts on YouTube). In all, a gentle hour of exercise that left me mildly sweaty and invigorated. A good day.

 

[FiddleFit]

Day 5 of the rotation was meant to be a rest day, so I decided to do a workout of choice. That wound up being LITE Cardio Party w/u + Cardio Crush + c/d (28 minutes). That's a fun little step routine that gets your heart rate right up there. I followed this workout with a 20 minute Blissology yoga routine called Yoga At Nature's Pace.

I go back to work tomorrow, and I'm considering getting up earlier in the mornings to do some 20-40 minute yoga routines. It's a fabulous day to start the day, but I'm a slow sunrise these days. I'm not sure I can pull myself out of bed before 7am anymore, especially during the dark, cold days of winter.

 

[DeannaTS]

Day 5 of the rotation was meant to be a rest day, so I decided to do a workout of choice. That wound up being LITE Cardio Party w/u + Cardio Crush + c/d (28 minutes). That's a fun little step routine that gets your heart rate right up there. I followed this workout with a 20 minute Blissology yoga routine called Yoga At Nature's Pace.

I go back to work tomorrow, and I'm considering getting up earlier in the mornings to do some 20-40 minute yoga routines. It's a fabulous day to start the day, but I'm a slow sunrise these days. I'm not sure I can pull myself out of bed before 7am anymore, especially during the dark, cold days of winter.

Cardio Party is the same one I chose to do yesterday. I haven't tried the Cardio Crush. I need to since I LOVE step.

 

[FiddleFit]

Cardio Party is the same one I chose to do yesterday. I haven't tried the Cardio Crush. I need to since I LOVE step.

Cardio Party, Rev’d Up Rumble, and Step Sync are my favourite cardios from Cathe these days. They’re intense enough for me, they’re fun, and they have great music! If you haven’t tried the CP Calorie Crush yet, I think you’ll really like it! In the premix they double up on the step/blast combo #2, to give you four step intervals à la the IMAX workouts. Otherwise, the calorie crush has only 3 intervals. Enjoy! And let me know what you think of it

 

[FiddleFit]

Day 6 of the rotation is Functional Total Body, and I have a lovely glow on from it now. There is no dread factor in these workouts! I do wonder, though, what we're meant to key in on, to know whether we're using the right weight. I use Cathe's weight, or an increment higher, and I don't come to fatigue at all, like in a typical weight workout. My heart rate goes up and I sweat - is that all we're going for? How do I know I'm using a weight that will have an effective impact?

Also - another win! I DID do an early morning yoga routine today! Blissology On Demand's new "Simple,
Short & Serene" routine. It's 20 minutes of slow sunrise, just like me. Also, since I went to the office today I got a ton of walking in.

 

[nickisteen]

Good for you!

 

[FiddleFit]

Good for you!

Thank you!

 

[FiddleFit]

Today, Day 7 of the rotation, was meant to be Cardio Supersets. I had no opportunity to do a workout today, however. The only thing I managed was a 25 minute yoga routine this morning (Blissology On Demand’s “Empty Mind, Full Light). It was a day to go to the office, which always gives me a bunch of walking, so not a bad day at all.

 

[DeannaTS]

Cardio Party, Rev’d Up Rumble, and Step Sync are my favourite cardios from Cathe these days. They’re intense enough for me, they’re fun, and they have great music! If you haven’t tried the CP Calorie Crush yet, I think you’ll really like it! In the premix they double up on the step/blast combo #2, to give you four step intervals à la the IMAX workouts. Otherwise, the calorie crush has only 3 intervals. Enjoy! And let me know what you think of it

I'm right there with you on those same cardio workouts! Rev'd Up Rumble is the one that made me enjoy kickboxing! And Step Sync is one of my most favorite Step workouts! I had actually learned the Bonus Step first, which made jumping into full Sync a breeze! Cardio Party is just plain FUN. I LOVE the music in that one! Now I need to explore the premixes in CP.

I've been doing the same rotation as well, only I mixed it up a bit, since I had been a bit weak from recovering from the norovirus (that was MISERABLE). I did Cardio Supersets yesterday, & plan on Perfect Hiit for today. Doing the LM&R ones have helped me start rebuilding stamina again. Yesterday I felt back to normal, with my usual energy during Cardio Supersets. I may bounce around with the other LM&R rotations the rest of this month. Maybe next week will be one of the LM&R rotations with ICE.

 

[FiddleFit]

I'm right there with you on those same cardio workouts! Rev'd Up Rumble is the one that made me enjoy kickboxing! And Step Sync is one of my most favorite Step workouts! I had actually learned the Bonus Step first, which made jumping into full Sync a breeze! Cardio Party is just plain FUN. I LOVE the music in that one! Now I need to explore the premixes in CP.

I've been doing the same rotation as well, only I mixed it up a bit, since I had been a bit weak from recovering from the norovirus (that was MISERABLE). I did Cardio Supersets yesterday, & plan on Perfect Hiit for today. Doing the LM&R ones have helped me start rebuilding stamina again. Yesterday I felt back to normal, with my usual energy during Cardio Supersets. I may bounce around with the other LM&R rotations the rest of this month. Maybe next week will be one of the LM&R rotations with ICE.

It's great to meet a like-minded fitness friend, Deanna! May I ask what you are rebuilding stamina from? An injury? Or a lengthy break from exercising? I'm 54 and trying to shore up my body from the last 5 years of going into menopause, having a bulging disk in my lower back, plantar fasciitis, and general lack of time or energy to workout consistently.

 

[FiddleFit]

Day 7 of the rotation was LMR Functional Barre Fusion, using the balance disk, ball, chair, and 3 lb dumbbells. This workout felt like a collection of greatest hits from my physiotherapist! Total Body Physio it could have been called! It's great! The use of the balance disks meant that my hips, glutes, and core all had to get up off the couch and join the party. This is not cardio intensive, nor is it a muscle challenge. If anything it felt like a joint and core/balance tune up. Again, I'm left wondering whether I'm getting the full benefit of these workouts if the weights are feeling so light to me.

I also took the dog for a 1.6km (1 mile) lovely walk around the neighbourhood pond this morning, on a perfectly perfect sunny winter day with a brilliant blue sky. Otherwise, my day was occupied with my day job (working at a desk).

 

[DeannaTS]

It's great to meet a like-minded fitness friend, Deanna! May I ask what you are rebuilding stamina from? An injury? Or a lengthy break from exercising? I'm 54 and trying to shore up my body from the last 5 years of going into menopause, having a bulging disk in my lower back, plantar fasciitis, and general lack of time or energy to workout consistently.

Good morning! I have actually been sick for most of November & December. So, I did lose strength & stamina & am getting it back. I also had a reverse shoulder replacement so I'm always working to keep that shoulder mobile & as strong as I can.

I really like the change of focus in the LM&R workouts. I will use the weights Cathe uses, even if they do feel light, but Cathe does mention often to use the weight that works for you. I'm sure going heavier would be fine. I think at my age (61) I need to have varying intensities & not go all out every single day. What I get from the LM&R is that they aren't meant to build bigger muscle anyway & at my age now, I need to be careful not to overexercise. I seem to do better alternating the really tough workouts with lighter intermediate ones. I especially love the balance discs & my balance is already improving. I have other issues in my neck & spine, but the pain has greatly improved as I've gotten more mobile & built strength. It's been a long, slow process but I'm enjoying it! I have only been dealing with menopause for about 6 months but am doing alright.

 

[FiddleFit]

Day 8 of the rotation was scheduled as Core Fusion and while I haven’t done that one yet, I wanted something different. I wanted cardio, and upper/lower, so I decided to make it a Bonus day. I did, therefore, the Bonus Low Impact Cardio, the Bonus Lower Body Balance Discs, and the Bonus Upper Body Balance Discs routines, which came to a solid 60 minute workout (20 minutes each). It’s really really good! Very core-tensive, especially the Upper Body Balance Disc routine. The cardio is comfortable and got my heart rate up quite nicely. I became quite sweaty, and my upper glutes/hips got a great focus. I quite like this grouping of workouts. It’s a couple of hours later and I’m surprised at how tired I feel. It didn’t feel all that strenuous while I was doing it, but evidently I was working quite hard.

 

[FiddleFit]

Good morning! I have actually been sick for most of November & December. So, I did lose strength & stamina & am getting it back. I also had a reverse shoulder replacement so I'm always working to keep that shoulder mobile & as strong as I can.

I really like the change of focus in the LM&R workouts. I will use the weights Cathe uses, even if they do feel light, but Cathe does mention often to use the weight that works for you. I'm sure going heavier would be fine. I think at my age (61) I need to have varying intensities & not go all out every single day. What I get from the LM&R is that they aren't meant to build bigger muscle anyway & at my age now, I need to be careful not to overexercise. I seem to do better alternating the really tough workouts with lighter intermediate ones. I especially love the balance discs & my balance is already improving. I have other issues in my neck & spine, but the pain has greatly improved as I've gotten more mobile & built strength. It's been a long, slow process but I'm enjoying it! I have only been dealing with menopause for about 6 months but am doing alright.

I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been dealing with sickness for so long! But wow, you made it to 60 before menopause? That’s amazing! Have you tried the upper body balance disc bonus? I’m curious how someone with a compromised shoulder would find those moves? I like your style. Alternating intensities is what I’ve been doing these last few years and I can’t believe how hard I used to push myself.

 

[DeannaTS]

I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been dealing with sickness for so long! But wow, you made it to 60 before menopause? That’s amazing! Have you tried the upper body balance disc bonus? I’m curious how someone with a compromised shoulder would find those moves? I like your style. Alternating intensities is what I’ve been doing these last few years and I can’t believe how hard I used to push myself.

Thanks for the sweet thoughts! I hadn't been sick in a long time, so I guess it was my turn. I'm finally feeling MUCH better!

Yeah, I avoided menopause for a long time! I'm one of the more fortunate ones! I am too high risk for HRT, so I use Black Cohosh & Pueraria Mirifica, which have helped tremendously with menopause symptoms. (But nothing seems to stop the man hairs that grow from my chin! LOL!!!)

I do really enjoy the Upper Body balance disc bonus. The shoulder replacement mobility is really good except for moves when I have to go behind my body. When reaching behind my body, I can get into my back pocket, but that's it. I did gain back as much mobility as the replacement allows & am super grateful for it. I can't go heavier than about 8 to 10 lbs with that shoulder, & any moves where my arm is further away from my body are the ones I'm very careful about. I won't do straight arm lateral raises. My arms are always bent at the elbow. I won't do pushups on my toes anymore either. The only move I can't do in the Disc Bonus is that tabletop move.

I enjoy tough workouts, but I won't do "puke in a bucket" ones. And as I've aged, I feel more of a need for mobility & lengthening as well as a variety of different types of workouts & the use of different equipment. Going all out several days in a row makes my body cranky, but alternating intensity works really good for me. I'm in agreement with you.... I can't believe how hard I used to exercise every single day with no rest days. Exercise addiction back then?

 

[FiddleFit]

Thanks for the sweet thoughts! I hadn't been sick in a long time, so I guess it was my turn. I'm finally feeling MUCH better!

Yeah, I avoided menopause for a long time! I'm one of the more fortunate ones! I am too high risk for HRT, so I use Black Cohosh & Pueraria Mirifica, which have helped tremendously with menopause symptoms. (But nothing seems to stop the man hairs that grow from my chin! LOL!!!)

I do really enjoy the Upper Body balance disc bonus. The shoulder replacement mobility is really good except for moves when I have to go behind my body. When reaching behind my body, I can get into my back pocket, but that's it. I did gain back as much mobility as the replacement allows & am super grateful for it. I can't go heavier than about 8 to 10 lbs with that shoulder, & any moves where my arm is further away from my body are the ones I'm very careful about. I won't do straight arm lateral raises. My arms are always bent at the elbow. I won't do pushups on my toes anymore either. The only move I can't do in the Disc Bonus is that tabletop move.

I enjoy tough workouts, but I won't do "puke in a bucket" ones. And as I've aged, I feel more of a need for mobility & lengthening as well as a variety of different types of workouts & the use of different equipment. Going all out several days in a row makes my body cranky, but alternating intensity works really good for me. I'm in agreement with you.... I can't believe how hard I used to exercise every single day with no rest days. Exercise addiction back then?

Thank you for sharing all of that! You really sound like a trooper! Do you use any other instructors besides Cathe?

 

[FiddleFit]

Today was Day 11 of the rotation: Functional Upper Body. I went 1 - 2 increments higher than Cathe in all of the moves and found it a better challenge than the first time. This morning I also did some yoga: Blissology On Demand's 19 minute "Lean and Serene in Just 19". It's a great one for opening you up first thing in the morning and getting you ready for the day.

 

[DeannaTS]

Thank you for sharing all of that! You really sound like a trooper! Do you use any other instructors besides Cathe?

Good morning, Sandara! Yes, I do have workouts from many instructors. I tend to do Cathe's most of the time though. I have The Firm, Kari Anderson, Karen Voight, Lastics, Bar Method, Rodney Yee, Barre 3, P57, Tracie Long, Gin Miller, Kathy Smith...the list goes on & on.