Kari begins introducing you to a workout designed to help develop balance, stability, precision, flexibility, strength and endurance. After doing the workout a few times, I agree that this workout includes all these elements.
Center Floor gracefully blends ballet, yoga and Pilates for a toning and stretching workout divided into a standing and a floor segment.

Standing segment: 30 minutes divided into five 6-minute segments.
- Warm up: 6 minutes of flowing moves and some stretching.
- Turn out: You begin in first position doing side leg lifts with bent knee, then with straight legs, releves, degages, front lifts, side to side plies and side to side taps. Each sequence becomes more challenging by adding elements of balance and hops (which are optional).
- Paralel: to work the side hips. It does! You start with static squats, move on to side-to-side squats, add leg lifts with a bent knee, then add a little kick (which Kari calls the frosting on the cupcake. They hurt!), add a toe tap and lift again. Then you move on to curtsies, add arms, reach to the floor, add a hop in each transition. These first two segments have a slight cardio effect with the larger movements and the hops.
- Turn out: Start in first position doing rond de jambes, first “painting the floor” with your toe, then with your foot in the air. Move on to leg lifts, lift and tap and lift again, toe to knee, rotate from the hip and open again. Straight side leg lifts, with tap, attitude-develope- attitude back and same move but adding a plie with the supporting leg and arm moves. .
- Lunges and first stretch: This segment feels like a stretch but there are lots of rear lunges in it, both static and alternating legs or repeating. You start rolling your shoulders like you are shaking it all out, then move on to alternating back lunges, static back lunge with pulses, add a forward sweep, deepen into runner’s lunge, bring hips up to the ceiling for a great hamstring stretch, then open into ballerina lunge (I think! it’s a very deep side lunge). Repeat on the other side. Roll up, lift knees to chest alternating, shoulder rolls again to shake it all off.

Each 6 minute sequence flows beautifully, adding more challenge and bringing it back to the basic move.

Mat:
The mat section of this workout is divided into three 4-minute segments.
- Plank: You begin in forward plank, go into downward dog, repeat, then do dog splits lifting the knee to the side then stretching straight up, pulling back in, repeat, and transition to the other side doing six (or 8?) slow mountain climbers. Then comes a set of triceps pushups on the knees, move on to side plank with the option of doing a passe and extending leg straight out. Bring leg back down, and move to the other side by going back into forward plank and lifting the other arm. Repeat side plank and moves on the other side.
- Mat on the back: You start with a Pilates roll-down, bend one knee and lift torso reaching to one side and the other of the knee alternating knees. Move on to bicycles starting by lifting one foot off the floor and then the other, then do full bicycles, leg scissors, ballerina criss-cross lowering the legs and bringing the knees in with a reverse crunch, extend legs and repeat, toe dips, and end with a roll-up.
- Mat on the back 2 : begins with a reverse plank with bent knees, move on to straightening legs bringing the hips through the arms (if you can!), bending knees again, all while keeping the hips up (it’s hard to explain and a difficult move!). Roll back and move on to a bridge sequence that begins with both feet on the floor, moves on to one leg bridges adding a bend and extend working leg combo. Repeat combo with the other leg.
Roll onto the side and do some sideline leg and oblique work. Sit back up for some more sitting ab moves alternating lifting legs, lifting both legs together and lowering while criss-crossing then pulling knees back in. This segment ends with a seated forward bend.

Stretch: There are two 5-minute stretching segments. One on the mat, and one standing up.
- On the mat: You stretch your hips and hamstrings one leg at a time, sit up for mermaids (I think!), lean over to the side for a good quad stretch on each side, then onto all fours for cat and cow.
- Standing stretch: Start with both legs straight, one stepping forward and bend forward (great hamstring stretch!), bend back knee and straighten a few times, then bend both knees and move into a lunge. Repeat on other side transitioning with some side bends. Squat, open knees, bend forward, straighten legs, bend over to one side with flat back, then to the other. End with some side to side lunges and deep breaths.

The workout is more intense than it looks. I think it’s great for every level of fitness, but beginners don’t have a modifier to follow. Kari does give form pointers for beginners or the less flexible. Kari and her companions are amazingly flexible and strong, and all three move gracefully and with control. They are beautiful to watch!

The music is ok. You won’t find me plie-ing my way across my kitchen while humming the music, but I’m not wishing for a no-music option either.

I’m glad I have this workout and look forward to doing it when I need something that will make me feel both worked but also relaxed and refreshed. It works great both as a morning and evening workout.

Instructor Comments:
Kari is professional, cues very well and doesn’t add any unnecessary chatter. She is encouraging but not perky at all. She makes some funny comments, like “this is the frosting on the cupcake” (when it HURTS!), and establishes a connection with the home exerciser when she says things like “I wish I could see you, then I’d know what I have to say”. I really like her style!

topfitmama