Maybe you haven’t been to a gym in years, or maybe you’re just looking for better strategies to maintain and improve your fitness overall. 

Whether you’re active or not, starting out or starting over, low-impact workouts are beneficial for anyone.  Low impact activities are praised for being easy on the joints, but there are a variety of advantages to incorporating them into your routine. Here are a few of the benefits of low impact. 

  • Yes, they’re easy on your joints, but they also require less recovery time. Rather than taking rest days you can utilize low-impact workouts more frequently and achieve the same benefits as other exercises. 
  • Low impact reduces your risk of injury.  High impact demands more mobility, if you have a hip or ankle problem you’re more likely to get hurt performing movements like jumping higher or running faster.
  • High impact workouts specialize in rapid movements where the body does not have as much time to stabilize. Low impact workouts focus on slow movements allowing your body to relish in the movements and establish balanced in the body. 
  • The slower motions also allow you to focus on the mind-muscle connection establishing strong muscle patterns. This lessens additional strain on your joints and connective tissues and fosters better alignment and technique. 
  • With low impact workouts you have an increased range of motion because you’re more likely to use your full range of motion. This reduces muscle imbalances and potential injury. It also raises your heart rate even without cardio. 
  • Slow exercise forces your muscles to work longer. Faster movements generate a momentum which helps you cheat through an exercise. Low impacts are ideal to get stronger. 
  • You burn more fat at a lower heart rate. In a high-impact workout, your heart rate is higher and puts you in the anaerobic zone, but you’re not using the fat as fuel. Low-impact workouts are optimal for burning body fat. 
  • We all have days when we don’t feel like going so hard. Low impact workouts are the perfect motivation for those days. As long as you’re doing something you’ll benefit from any kind of movement. 
  • Low Impact causes less physical and mental stress on the body. The high impact can sometimes have the opposite effect and raise your stress levels, but the low impact can reduce the cortisol levels which is key in every health and fitness goal.

Low impact workouts have amazing benefits without as much sweat. It’s the perfect way to get your body moving on those days when you’re not feeling 100% or need recovery time. 

What are your favorite low-impact exercises?

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