It seems like everyone is always telling us exercise more. But if you struggle with joint pain, a recent injury, or plain ol’ bad knees, exercising isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Here are 6 low-impact workouts that will help you get fit without putting too much stress on your body.
Yes, it sounds like a drink you’d order at a tiki bar. But aqua Zumba is actually a fantastic low impact workout. Regular Zumba classes put a lot of stress on your knees, hips, and ankles, but when you shift those moves to the pool, it takes the stress off your joins without sacrificing the cardio benefits. The water provides extra resistance to your moves, but the buoyancy keeps the weight off your lower body. Plus it’s more like a pool party than an exercise class!
Health Tips Daily Insider Advice: Wear aqua shoes for better traction and to protect the soles of your feet while you exercise.
If you’re not sure about dancing in the water, then traditional laps may be more your style. Swimming is one of the best low-impact workouts ever. It puts zero stress on your joints but engages your entire body, burning up to 700 calories an hour. It’s a good idea to vary your strokes during your workout—mix up freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly, for example. If you need a refresher (or you never learned to do anything but doggy paddle!) many YMCAs and other gyms offer adult swimming lessons.
If you think yoga doesn’t burn calories, then you’re in for a surprise. Power yoga burns up to 400 calories an hour. It’s a full-body exercise that focuses on improving balance, strengthening your core, and conditioning your cardiovascular system. As you breathe deeply and move your body through the poses, you’re giving a powerful dose of oxygen to your system, helping you burn more calories.
Yoga has been called “the fountain of youth” and is one of the best low-impact workouts you can do.
The perfect exercise for you is one that you actually enjoy doing. If you had dreams of becoming a ballerina, then check out a barre class! You’ll use a lot of traditional dance movements combined with light weights and full-body stretches. It’s less hard on your knees than a more traditional dance-based exercise.
Health Tips Daily Insider Advice: If the movements are too easy for you, add resistance with extra weights or exercise bands.
Get on your bikes and ride! Cycling is an ideal choice for those of us who need to exercise but have no interest in running or jogging. You can ride outdoors or opt for a stationary bike, easily change the intensity of your workout, and get toned calves and glutes without damaging your knees. Some gyms offer fun cycling classes set to pop music, if that’s more your speed!
Don’t be intimidated by rowing machines! Although it can take a few minutes to get used to the movements, once you master the machine, rowing is a great low impact workout. It burns about the same number of calories as running (around 600 per hour) but without the stress on your body. It’s especially good for your abs, shoulders, and glutes!
Health Tips Daily Insider Advice: Make sure to keep your head up and let most of the movement come from your legs rather than yanking with your arms.
