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Are you looking for low-impact exercises to help you lose weight? The key to successful weight loss is not about how hard your workout is but about how frequently you exercise and your consistency in doing so.
For many people, high-impact activities like jogging, running, or jumping might be their go-to way of shedding pounds fast. But if you are just starting your journey towards a fitter, healthier self, these types of workouts can be quite daunting.
They’re also more likely to cause injury because they stress your bones and joints more than lower-impact activities do. To help you get started on this new journey towards a healthier lifestyle with less strain on your joints and bones, we’ve compiled a list of 10 low-impact exercises that will help you lose weight faster and easier while keeping injury at bay.
Best Low Impact Exercises For Weight Loss
There are many benefits of low-impact exercises, including cardiovascular health and preventing joint damage. Cardio exercises that are high-impact cause bone damage when you land. Low-impact exercises, by contrast, cause less bone damage by keeping your joints stable and minimizing the shock to your joints, thus allowing you to work out without the risk of injury.
Examples of low-impact exercises
Listed below are some examples of low-impact exercises. Each one has its own benefits, so there’s sure to be one for you. However, before you decide on the right program, make sure it’s appropriate for your condition.
1. Cycling
In addition to being gentle on the body and joints, cycling has many added benefits while still producing high-intensity levels. It is also a great way to get a gentle workout on days you don’t feel like doing a strenuous workout routine, as cycling takes much less time than running or jogging. Besides burning fat, it can improve mental health and increase your level of concentration and awareness of your surroundings.
2. Walking
Walking has many benefits, especially if you are overweight or have joint pain. This low-impact exercise maximizes Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis or NEAT. The process of general movement burns calories and can help you reach your weight loss goals. You can walk for 50 to 70 minutes three to four times per week and burn about 200 calories each time. That’s a considerable caloric deficit!
Even strolling on a treadmill is a great way to get in some exercise. A leisurely stroll will burn calories, tone muscles, and improve your mood and heart health. Walking also counts as cardio, and it can help you reach the recommended 150-300 minutes of daily walking.
In addition to burning calories, walking will also prevent stiffness and improve your energy levels. Walking is a great choice for people who don’t have much time to exercise.
3. Circuit training
If you’re looking for an effective, low-impact exercise to improve your cardiovascular fitness, you might want to try circuit training. The concept of circuit training is simple and involves alternating between lower and upper-body exercises.
Beginners should start by alternating exercises while giving their joints some time to recover. Intermediate and advanced exercisers can skip the rest period and perform both exercises in a row, while beginners can do each exercise twice or thrice. Beginners should follow a simple routine and make small adjustments as they progress.
Circuit training can be adapted to suit any fitness level and physical condition. You can mix and match body-weight exercises and sport-specific drills to suit your needs. Circuit training requires a short rest between stations and can involve three or more rounds.
This method of circuit training can increase your strength and endurance. The main difference between circuit training and traditional aerobics is lower intensity levels. However, both types of exercises still provide excellent cardio benefits.
4. Pilates
Many people who are training for a competition know the benefits of taking a day off from the gym. Rest days allow the muscles to repair themselves after a particularly punishing workout. Pilates exercises are ideal for rest days because they are low-impact and cause less micro-damage to the muscles than other workouts do. Pilates exercises are ideal for building core strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. They are also great for preventing injuries during intense workouts.
While many people believe that it is impossible to get the same benefits of high-impact exercise, Pilates works your body in a way that is safe for everyone. Pilates uses low-impact slow, steady movements and helps elongate muscles while improving joint mobility.
Additionally, this form of exercise is very gentle and can reduce joint pain and stiffness in the lower back. In addition to being an effective workout, Pilates helps reduce stress and improve mental clarity.
In addition to improving your health, it helps you tone and relaxes your body. Pilates is a great low-impact exercise to shed a few pounds without having to work out too hard. It also incorporates breathing exercises that calm your nervous system and reduce your cortisol levels. Cortisol stimulates the body’s metabolism to create glucose, which becomes fat. Pilates is a great way to lose weight while still getting a great workout.
5. Rowing
Rowing is a great low-impact exercise that works your whole body. Because it requires your body to work as a team to propel you back and forth, it is safer for the joints than jogging or running. Whether you do it for 15 minutes or an hour, rowing is an excellent full-body workout and will save you time at the gym. This activity is also an excellent option for seniors with trouble maintaining balance or a history of injury.
Rowing is easy for beginners and offers quick results. It is important to note that you should gradually increase your workout’s intensity, start out slowly, and build up to a more intense routine as you progress.
Beginners should plan to use rowers for 10 to 20 minutes per session to get the best results. To make rowing more challenging, try adjusting the cadence of your stroke. Depending on your goals, you can choose the intensity of your workout based on your ability.
During your rowing workout, focus on the core muscles, particularly your abdominal muscles. This is because they protect your back and are important to rowing. If you do this right, rowing will build your strength, efficiency, and power. It’s a great workout for your core and can help prevent injury.
Rowing workouts can be modified to fit individuals of all fitness levels, making them suitable for raw beginners. In addition, you can make the workouts less rigorous if you are significantly overweight.
6. Swimming
If you’re trying to lose weight, swimming is a great way to do so without stressing out your joints. Not only is swimming an excellent exercise for weight loss, but it’s also great for your heart. By adding a little bit of resistance to your strokes, you can raise your heart rate and burn more calories. A good beginner’s freestyle swimming exercise can burn up to 808 calories per hour.
Swimming is also a great way to improve your overall fitness level and works your body from head to toe. It tones your muscles, improves your blood flow, and improves your metabolism.
7. Kettlebell swings
Kettlebell swings are a great way to develop explosive power in your legs and arms. The swinging motion of the kettlebell activates muscles throughout the body, including the hamstrings, obliques, shoulders, and back. This form of exercise can help you add pounds to your squat or deadlift, as it trains every part of your body.
To perform a kettlebell swing, you must have strong hip drives and maintain a relaxed upper body. Your hamstrings, glutes, and core are working to transfer energy from your torso to the kettlebell. You should aim to swing the kettlebell as high as possible while keeping your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
When beginning a kettlebell swing, start with a lighter weight to develop proper form and technique. Beginners can start with a kettlebell weighing ten to eighteen pounds. You can also buy lighter kettlebells. However, heavier ones are more suitable for advanced workouts. Kettlebell swings can be done with 18 to 70 pounds (or 8-32 kg).
Kettlebell swings are a great way to get in shape with minimal impact You can do them anywhere, and the kettlebell is portable and easy to store. The American Council on Exercise says that with kettlebell workouts, the average person burns about 400 calories in 20 minutes, equaling a six-mile run. If you are serious about getting in shape, kettlebell swings are worth checking out. You can find kettlebell sets at any local Walmart near you or online.
8. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are a form of plyometrics that helps you build strength and muscle in your upper body. The great thing about mountain climbers is that you don’t even need to leave your home to do them! All you need is a flat surface, and you can start doing them immediately.
Aside from increasing core strength, mountain climber exercises also improve agility and coordination. They also enhance blood circulation, boost metabolism, and strengthen the back, shoulders, thighs, core, and legs.
They also improve your balance and reflex speed. And they burn calories. Moreover, they help you tone your entire body and improve your posture. A beginner’s mountain climber exercise will help you achieve all these benefits.
9. Elliptical Machines
Although the term “low-impact” may seem intimidating, ellipticals are actually considered low-impact exercise machines. They require little to no impact on the joints and muscles and are a great way to get a full-body cardio workout. Unlike treadmills and stair climbers, there’s no risk of overdoing it.
Elliptical machines are popular for their low-impact nature. They require the user to stand on pedals and move in place. Ellipticals may also have a reverse motion, which helps to target more muscles. Ellipticals also often include handles for sculpting your biceps or gaining upper-body strength. A low-impact workout on an elliptical machine is a good choice for those who want to lose weight without risking their joints.
When choosing between a treadmill and an elliptical machine, it’s best to choose the latter. Besides being lower-impact, ellipticals mimic the running motion and don’t put the same amount of stress on the joints as a treadmill or a stair climb.
10. Yoga
The health benefits of yoga are endless. This low-impact exercise’s most important benefits are joint pain, arthritis, and headache relief. It helps reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure, and encourage restful sleep.
Anyone of any age and physical condition can do yoga, which makes it a perfect workout for the entire family. Even those with back pain or other physical problems can benefit from yoga. Even people who are stressed out can perform it.
In addition to the health benefits, yoga helps loosen up the joints and is a great way to stay flexible. The exercises also improve your balance and flexibility, reducing the risk of falls. If you cannot do the poses regularly, you can move the class outside once or twice a week. Morning yoga is especially good for getting your body ready for the day.
It is not known whether yoga is an effective exercise for weight loss. Researchers haven’t conclusively proven it, but a review in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine shows it is. The review examined studies involving a population of healthy people.
The study showed that yoga improved balance and other physiological factors. More studies need to be done to find out exactly how much balance could be improved by yoga and which postures are most beneficial for this purpose.
As you might imagine, low-impact exercises are great for recovering from hard days and enhancing your energy levels. So, if you want to start an exercise program, don’t forget to check with your healthcare provider first. It’s a good idea to choose a low-impact exercise that you enjoy. The best low-impact workout program will also make it fun.
Exercises that place a large amount of stress on your knees, hips, and other areas of your body can cause long-term damage if done frequently and without proper form. Keeping things low-impact doesn’t mean boring, though. These exercises will challenge every muscle in your body while reducing strain on your knees, hips, ankles, and back.
