Slide & Glide-Am I the only one who finds this almost impossible?

muniav09

muniav09

Active Member
I can do the static exercises with these, but I find the fast cardio movements nearly impossible. Tonight I got terrible cramps in my arches. I did most of the cardio approximating the disk moves with low impact floor moves. It was still a good short workout but I'd like to master this. Is there hope for me? Thanks!

Steph
 
Hi Steph ,
There's always hope !
Is the cramping the main reason why you feel like you can't do it ? If it's not , don't worry . If you keep at it , you'll lock into it and once you do , it's SO much fun ! I just think this workout is so different from what a lot of us are used to that it can feel really strange at first .
But really , I totally know what you mean about foot cramping . I don't get it in my arches but if I move the wrong way , my toes get rigid and it really hurts ! I don't get that with Slide and Glide , but I try to keep a mental list to remember what does cause it .

Pointing my toes for any length of time . This one is huge . You probably have a good idea as to which movements encourage the cramping , and pulling your foot in the opposite direction of the cramp is the only thing I know to to do when this happens .

Low potassium - I am prone to that from all sweating I do from these workouts !

Sorry to be so long winded - too much coffee , I think .
I don't think I've helped you much , but I'm just sharing some thoughts .
Best ,
Kate
 
ETA -
I wonder if the fact that it feels awkward is causing your feet to tense up [ subconsciously trying to hold on to the disks ] and causing the cramps ?
 
Probably. I have to be very protective of my back because I am prone to muscle spasms that take me out for days. Strengthening my core is one of the main reasons I started working out last month. I'm just not comfortable with moving around on those things; my back feels very unstable. It was the foot cramping yesterday that made it impossible to do. Also, on my carpet, they don't slide really well (without covers, of course), possibly because I'm putting a lot more weight/force on them that, say, a slip of a person like Cathe! I don't know, that's a theory/excuse. I just know I am very uncomfortable with this workout. If it is worth sticking with, I'll persevere, but I won't like it! :mad:
 
Feet cramp when we are unconsciously scrunching our toes inside the shoe to "grab" the floor and this we do when we feel unstable. Whenever I perform one-legged, balance moves, my feet hurt like crazy, as you describe, for this reason.

The key is: strengthen your leg muscles, particularly on one-legged moves, before adding in the disc dimension because this increases your instability even further.

It's not that you can never do Slide n' glide, just that increased strength may be needed first. So, if you are new to exercise or coming back from a lay-off, take heart because this is something you can re-visit later. Strengthen your legs, work on improving balance, then try again.

Clare
 
Hi Steph ,
You know your body . If your back feels unstable and you think you might hurt it , then this might not be the workout for you . Yes , it is low impact , but that doesn't mean that other body parts can't get injured . I've got bad knees , and the low impact is great for that , but the twisting is something I really have to watch with this one .
There are so many ways to work your abs and back - I'm sure you can find a workout that won't make you feel so uncomfortable - and I would listen to that voice that's telling you not to do it - sometimes your gut knows best !
Good luck -
Kate
 
Thanks everybody. I'm just going to take the disks out of everything for now and come back to it in a few weeks to see if there is any difference. Lord knows I haven't lacked for hard, hard exercise without them. Hopefully in a few weeks time I'll have a pleasant surprise!

Thanks, Steph
 
I never liked using the disks for any of the Low Impact Series workouts because they place a strain on my lower back. I work out on carpet without disk covers. Some people on this forum suggest using spray (Pledge?) to make the disks slide more easily on carpet, but I can't bring myself to spray anything on clean carpet that I plan to lie on for floor work (that's just me). I've found that with time and core work I can do more of the disk work in Afterburn and Cardio Supersets (I found ways to modify the workouts and eliminate the disks but gradually have been bringing them back in). However, I tried Slide and Glide just the other day and found it still problematic. I agree with Kate A. that although the disks save the joints from pounding (e.g., during jumping jacks), they may not be good for people with certain limitations (e.g., back problems). I haven't given up entirely on Slide and Glide but it's not in my rotation.
 
I love the cardio portion of slide n glide, but in the beginning, I would always have some minor lower back pain. It never occured to me that it could be the disks. It usually only occurs in the beginning of the cardio during the swim lunges and long reach lunges side to side. But after that, it seems my back loosens up and I'm fine for the rest of the cardio and abs. This never happens with afterburn or any other low impact workout with the disks. That's why I don't do this workout too often, which is a shame because I do enjoy it esp. when I want just a little more cardio at the end of my day.
 
Just a thought, do you have foot issues? You might think about doing exercises to strengthen your feet (picking up marbles w/your toes, towels scrunches using your toes, etc). Having strong feet/lower legs is so important -- take it from one who learned the hard way. Cathe's "high-and-tight" segments in her barre workouts have done amazing things for strengthening my feet and all the muscles in my lower legs.
Agree that if you don't feel stable doing the G&S workout, don't risk it.
 
Feet cramp when we are unconsciously scrunching our toes inside the shoe to "grab" the floor and this we do when we feel unstable. Whenever I perform one-legged, balance moves, my feet hurt like crazy, as you describe, for this reason.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU CLARE!!

This explains SO MUCH. I can't believe I have never known/thought about this.
 
Sometimes when I do the balance on one leg moves, or any of the moves in slide n glide, I hold lightly onto an old wooden flagpole for balance. i think in my mind my foot is going to slide too far away, and i will end up in some form of split.
 
You have gotten some great advice here.
Remember, these are advanced workouts. Personally, I think the LIS has some of Cathe's toughest workouts because they require A LOT of balance and core strength. Slide and Glide is an excellent workout that you can work up to. Don't be discouraged about how it feels. It sounds like you just found an area you need to work on. Work up slowly with premixes and just doing some reps.
( See what works for you) You will get stronger in time and your balance will be so much better !
Make sure you really stretch out after these workouts- especially your calves!
 
muniav09 said:
Any suggestions as to what to substitute for the Slide & Glide DVD?

Thanks, Steph
Click to expand...

I give props to anyone who can do this workout, or any disk work, with shoes on. I can only do work with them while barefoot. Like someone else said on here, the toe cramping + disks don't mix well! But then I do all of my Cathe workouts barefoot, so I'm used to it. Didn't Cathe do this workout in relatively minimalist shoes? Slide 'n Glide is fun, but I tried using the disks once with shoes on, and there was no way I could have completed the workout if I hadn't taken them off. But then I never liked anything under my feet that made me feel insecure- high heels, step ladders, roller skates.

I admit it is a weird feeling to kick off the shoes for training at first, and it will take the Achilles tendon and feet some time to acclimate. I do kind of miss the feeling of buying cute socks and shoes. However, I doubt I'd ever go back to training in shoes regularly again. Particularly with step aerobics, training barefoot helped me progress SOOOO much faster! My long-standing knee pain disappeared when I went barefoot, which amazed me- I always thought shoes protected the joints. My feet looked stronger and more shapely after training barefoot for awhile. I get less hot overall while exercising because my feet are free, not stuffed into socks and shoes. I save money on not buying shoes and socks (as long as I don't give into the temptation to try working out in shoes again!)

I don't necessarily recommend the barefoot thing to everyone. My feet/ankles supinate and I think (but don't quote me on this) that it is more common to overpronate. My arches are a little on the flat side, although they've improved greatly in the last year; weight loss plus barefoot training really helped them. I did a lot of mobility and conditioning drills in the first months of barefoot training to improve arch strength and flexibility, ankle dorsiflexion, and balance. Also, I train on a carpeted floor. I'm working out in my bedroom, so I'm not in much danger of picking up any germs that aren't my own. (I wouldn't train barefoot in a public gym. Ew.) :D So I'm not necessarily the norm...But maybe considering training barefoot, even if just for disk work, would help.
 
TurquoiseEyes said:
I give props to anyone who can do this workout, or any disk work, with shoes on. I can only do work with them while barefoot. Like someone else said on here, the toe cramping + disks don't mix well! But then I do all of my Cathe workouts barefoot, so I'm used to it. Didn't Cathe do this workout in relatively minimalist shoes? Slide 'n Glide is fun, but I tried using the disks once with shoes on, and there was no way I could have completed the workout if I hadn't taken them off. But then I never liked anything under my feet that made me feel insecure- high heels, step ladders, roller skates.

I admit it is a weird feeling to kick off the shoes for training at first, and it will take the Achilles tendon and feet some time to acclimate. I do kind of miss the feeling of buying cute socks and shoes. However, I doubt I'd ever go back to training in shoes regularly again. Particularly with step aerobics, training barefoot helped me progress SOOOO much faster! My long-standing knee pain disappeared when I went barefoot, which amazed me- I always thought shoes protected the joints. My feet looked stronger and more shapely after training barefoot for awhile. I get less hot overall while exercising because my feet are free, not stuffed into socks and shoes. I save money on not buying shoes and socks (as long as I don't give into the temptation to try working out in shoes again!)

I don't necessarily recommend the barefoot thing to everyone. My feet/ankles supinate and I think (but don't quote me on this) that it is more common to overpronate. My arches are a little on the flat side, although they've improved greatly in the last year; weight loss plus barefoot training really helped them. I did a lot of mobility and conditioning drills in the first months of barefoot training to improve arch strength and flexibility, ankle dorsiflexion, and balance. Also, I train on a carpeted floor. I'm working out in my bedroom, so I'm not in much danger of picking up any germs that aren't my own. (I wouldn't train barefoot in a public gym. Ew.) :D So I'm not necessarily the norm...But maybe considering training barefoot, even if just for disk work, would help.
Click to expand...

I love this workout. I usually only do the cardio/abs premix, but I find it a great and different cardio burst. I love the way my lower body feels after it. I do wear shoes and I wear a thicker one because I can keep my heals down better. I cannot believe you can workout barefoot, I'm jealous. I cannot even do Turbo Barre barefoot, I have to wear shoes or else my feet are killing me, esp. in my arches. The more I've been trying to do it, the less my lower back hurts during the beginning.
 
I don't use the disc :) They don't slide on my carpet. I still get a good workout in without the disc :)
The only workouts I do barefoot is barre wo and yoga.
 
bayerngirl said:
I don't use the disc :) They don't slide on my carpet. I still get a good workout in without the disc :)
The only workouts I do barefoot is barre wo and yoga.
Click to expand...

I have carpet and have no issue, sorry you do. I have read that other people with carpet will spray their discs with pledge but be careful because the pledge really makes them slide!!! I only do yoga barefoot, nothing else.
 
muniav09 said:
It was still a good short workout but I'd like to master this. Is there hope for me?
Click to expand...

To be fair, gliding disc do feel strange in the beginning. Of course you can master as there is hope.
Investing time mastering do pay off. At least for me it did: combining disc and weight while doing STS.
Performing back lunges with both disc and weight has proven to be very effective hitting glutes.
Love it:):)

While we are on disc topic, I wish Cathe could make another one.
The stretch segment is one of my favourite leg stretch.
 
Last edited:
firemedic said:
I have carpet and have no issue, sorry you do. I have read that other people with carpet will spray their discs with pledge but be careful because the pledge really makes them slide!!! I only do yoga barefoot, nothing else.
Click to expand...

I have berber carpet in my workout room. Cathe's disc will not slide :( not even with pledge. I have not problem using the discs in my living room:D different carpet. It's like ice skating and I don't need any pledge:D I also do pilates barefoot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top