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Restore & Reset — Session 1

This 25-minute beginner workout focuses on upper body workout without weight. Led by Jessica Casalegno, it targets spine, shoulders, chest with evidence-based exercises designed for women of all fitness levels.

Exercise Breakdown

18 exercises in Session 1

Strength1 exercise
1m 19s
18:41
Prone Alternating Limb Lifts

Squeeze to lift right arm up, squeezing through your back.

lower backglutesshoulders
medium
Flexibility16 exercises
22m 39s
0:46
Seated Neck Stretches

Focus on drawing your shoulder far away from the ear, really lengthening the side of the neck.

neckupper back
low
2:01
Seated Forward Fold with Side Reaches

Drawing the left hip bone down to really stretch that left side of the torso.

hipslower backspine
low
4:01
Seated Forward Fold (Opposite Leg Lead)

It might feel a little uncomfortable, as you've adjusted your legs to the opposite of what you'll usually do.

hipslower backspine
low
5:31
Seated Cat-Cow

Press your chest out, fill your belly with air, squeeze the shoulder blades together.

spinechestupper back
low
6:21
Seated Shoulder Internal Rotation

Try to push the right elbow closer and closer towards the ground.

shouldersspine
low
7:21
Tabletop Cat-Cow

Pull the abs in, tuck your hips under, arch through that spine.

spinecoreneck
low
8:31
Wrist and Forearm Stretch

The deeper you sink your hips down towards your ankles, the more you'll feel that stretch.

wristsforearms
low
10:01
Spinal Waves

Squeezing the glutes to protect your lower back.

spinehipschestglutes
medium
12:01
Thread the Needle

Thread your right arm through and reach for the left side.

upper backshouldersspine
low
14:01
Seated Triceps and Shoulder Stretch

Pressing down gently on the elbow, stretching out that shoulder.

tricepsshoulderschest
low
15:31
Flying Chest Openers

Flip your hands and round through the back, closing the chest.

chestupper backshoulders
low
16:31
Puppy Pose

Hips stack over the knees, chest comes closer and closer towards the mat.

shouldersspinechest
medium
17:31
High Cobra Repetitions

Rising all the way up until the elbows come straight.

lower backgluteschest
medium
20:01
Bow Pose / Floor Bow

Try to lift your hips up, squeezing through your back, your thighs.

full bodylower backquadschest
high
21:01
Scorpion Stretch

Drop left foot down towards the ground, bring your left arm all the way back.

shoulderschesthipsspine
medium
22:31
Supine Spinal Twist

Focus on keeping both shoulders planted, getting that lower spine twist.

spinelower backhips
low
breathing1 exercise
45s
0:00
Seated Breathing and Centering

Focus on taking big inhales through your nose and deep exhales through your mouth.

neckshoulders
low

Muscles Targeted

Primary

spineshoulderschest

Secondary

lower backhipsupper back

Equipment & Modifications

Equipment Needed

  • mat

Don't Have Equipment?

You can substitute with:

thick towelcarpet

Available Modifications

  • Bend one knee at a time in cobra
  • Bend both knees to bring head toward toes
  • Top arm crawls overhead
  • Top arm wraps behind back to inner thigh
  • Lift only arms
  • Lift only legs
  • Lift all four limbs
  • Perform limb lifts instead of grabbing ankles

Coaching Highlights from Jessica Casalegno

It might feel a little uncomfortable, as you've adjusted your legs to the opposite of what you'll usually do.

Form

Squeeze your glute muscles together, keep your feet zippered together.

Safety

Squeeze the shoulder blades together like you're flying.

Motivation

Jessica brings a blend of strength and grace. Her sessions balance power with control, and she's especially attentive to shoulder and hip mechanics.

Form

She'll push you hard, then remind you that rest is part of the work.

Form

Health Benefits

Women who want to move freely again. If chronic pain, vaginal dryness sound familiar, the joint mobility work here directly supports your recovery. The spine, shoulders, chest emphasis addresses the most common restriction patterns in women. Beginner level with modifications — depth comes with time, not force.

Relevant For

anxietyarthritisback paincore strengthflexibilityhip painjoint painneck painposturesciaticashoulder painstress

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does this flexibility workout target?

This session works through spine, shoulders, chest as primary focus areas, with lower_back, hips, upper_back getting secondary attention. For shoulder mobility exercises, what matters is the combination of active and passive range of motion work. Jessica Casalegno sequences these 18 movements to progressively open tissue — starting gentle and building depth. A systematic review in Sports Medicine found this progressive approach yields better long-term flexibility gains than aggressive static stretching alone.

Do I need any equipment for this workout?

You'll need: mat. Don't have these? A thick towel on carpet works fine as a mat substitute — I've coached women who started with nothing but a clear floor space and still got results. The equipment here supports comfort and alignment — it doesn't make or break the workout. This aligns with principles of best chest exercises that make sessions like this effective.

Is this workout suitable for beginners?

Yes. Jessica Casalegno built this for people who are starting or restarting their movement practice. Every exercise has a clear entry point, and she demonstrates modifications throughout. Here's what I tell women who are nervous about starting: the first session is about learning the movements, not about intensity. Your body needs to build motor patterns before it can build capacity. Give yourself three sessions before you judge whether this works for you. This aligns with principles of chest workouts at home that make sessions like this effective.

How long is this flexibility session?

About 25 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down. Jessica Casalegno packs 18 exercises into that window — I want to be honest: 25 minutes doesn't sound like much. But research from the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that even 15-20 minutes of structured exercise produces measurable improvements in cardiovascular health and mood when done consistently. It's not about marathon sessions. It's about showing up regularly.

Are there modifications available?

Yes, and this matters more than people realize. Jessica Casalegno demonstrates modifications including: Bend one knee at a time in cobra; Bend both knees to bring head toward toes; Top arm crawls overhead — I've worked with women recovering from knee replacements, managing chronic pain, dealing with diastasis recti. Modifications aren't 'cheating'. they're how you make the exercise YOUR exercise. The American Physical Therapy Association emphasizes that individualized modification is key to long-term exercise adherence. Skip the ego, take the modification.

What's the difference between shoulder mobility exercises and general stretching?

I get this question constantly, and the answer actually matters. General stretching typically targets muscle length in a single plane. Shoulder mobility exercises works through multiple planes of motion — flexion, extension, rotation, lateral movement — to improve how your joints actually function in daily life. This session uses active range of motion challenges alongside passive holds. Jessica Casalegno's sequencing moves through spine, shoulders, chest in patterns that mirror real-world movement. A chest and tricep workout approach addresses not just muscle flexibility but joint capsule mobility, fascial glide, and neuromuscular coordination. That's why you'll feel improvements in how you move, not just how far you can reach.

How often should I do this flexibility workout?

3-4 times per week is the sweet spot for flexibility work. Your tissues need time to adapt and remodel — daily intense flexibility training can actually be counterproductive if you're not giving connective tissue time to recover. Alternate this session with complementary sessions from the same course. Rest days aren't lazy days — they're adaptation days. The research is clear: progressive overload applies to flexibility just as it does to strength.

Is this workout suitable for women over 35 or in perimenopause?

Flexibility work matters more for women over 35 than most people realize. Collagen production declines starting around age 30, and accelerates during perimenopause as estrogen — which stimulates collagen synthesis — drops. That's why joints feel stiffer, recovery takes longer, and range of motion quietly shrinks. This session counteracts those changes through progressive tissue loading. Jessica Casalegno's approach targets the fascial system alongside muscle flexibility, which research in Frontiers in Physiology (2019) identifies as a critical but often overlooked factor in age-related mobility loss. Consistency here literally changes your tissue architecture.

How does this session address chest exercises at home?

Chest exercises at home requires a combination of joint mobility and muscular control through range. This session addresses both. Jessica Casalegno includes active flexibility challenges — where you're building strength at end ranges — alongside passive holds for tissue adaptation. That dual approach is what the literature calls 'functional flexibility': not just how far you can go, but how strong and controlled you are at those ranges. A 2020 review in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy found that active flexibility training produced better functional outcomes than passive stretching alone.

Related Workouts & Topics

About the Trainer

Jessica Casalegno

Flexibility Trainer

From: Restore & Reset