Change doesn’t have to look like a high-intensity workout or half-hearted jogging. You can change your life with simple exercises to ensure some sense of activity in your otherwise occupied and sedentary life.
If your body needs a low-impact exercise routine, a 20-minute cardio regimen is the best option for you. Get this from the fitness experts in our team at FitEngine. We recommend a low-impact workout that caters to your needs: bad knees, tired body, bad hips, and the rest.
We’ve outlined some stellar and simple cardio workouts that prove you can break a sweat without stressing your ligaments and joints.
What Is Low-Impact Workout?
Low-impact workout means any exercise that gets your heart rate pumping without adding stress to your body. Both cardio and strength training can be low-impact. There’s zero jumping or running, and at least one foot is touching the ground while you’re working out. You can also dance away your troubles with musical workouts if you want to try something unconventional.
Physical therapists recommend low-impact cardio for beginners, people resuming their exercise after a hiatus, and older people. It’s hands-down the best exercise for people with back pain, osteoarthritis, or pregnant women.
The best thing about a low-impact workout is its gains. A person of any fitness level can benefit from these exercises. Even fitness freaks need days of rest and low-impact exercises to get away from high-intensity training.
Bottom line: low-impact workout allows your muscles and joints to take a breather.
But if you want to gain more muscle mass, read our tips for a mass-gaining workout instead.
Low-Impact Cardio Exercises You Can Try Today!
Below are some low-impact exercises you can try for one minute each without a break. Once you’re done, you can rest for a minute and restart the regimen. Repeat this workout routine three times to get some butt-kicking gains.
Recommended Read: Reasons You Should Work Out Regularly.
1. Jumping Jack But Low-Impact
Jumping jacks can be a good exercise to get you started. It keeps your muscles moving and heart rate going. The more you exaggerate your arm movements, the more calories you burn. Do this:
- Begin by standing with your arms resting on each side.
- Step your one foot out and stretch your arm up simultaneously. Maintain your weight on that foot.
- Return to the standing position.
- Repeat the same on the other side.
- Do this immediately for better results.
2. Boxin’ Squat
Squat to jab – a perfect low-impact workout where you combine boxing with bodyweight squat to achieve greatness with minimum effort. Do this:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart or wider than your shoulder-width while your arms rest on your sides.
- Squat down but ensure your chest is pushing up, hips are back, and knees are pointing forward and out.
- Stand tall again and when the legs straighten, throw a punch with each arm in a cross-body style.
- Squat down, stand up, and throw punch again.
3. Low-Impact Skaters
Low-impact skaters don’t include the jump, but you’ll still get the workout. Do this:
- Start in a lunge position with your legs bent. Your right leg can be behind in a cross-body position. Your right arm should be bent up at the side to maintain balance while your left arm is straight down.
- Push the left leg, stand, bring the right leg forward, and swing the left one backward and across your body. Switch arms simultaneously and work quickly but don’t push yourself too hard. Remember, it’s a low-impact workout, so don’t jump.
4. Lateral Shuffle
If you want to get a well-rounded muscular strength, work on both side-to-side (sagittal) and frontal planes. Work both legs equally by shuffling right for some time and then repeating the same for the other side. Make sure you fill up your one-minute count. Do this:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width or hip-width apart. Knees can be slightly bent, whereas hips need to be bent so that you’re in a forward posture. Hold and stretch your arms in front of you.
- Shift to the right, pick your right foot up in the air, and thrust from your left foot to move your body weight to the right. Do it quickly without losing balance or form.
- Bring the feet together again and repeat on the other side as you propel your weight.
5. Front Kick + Reverse Lunge
This is the perfect low-impact cardio with some tinge of burn. This is a one-minute workout, and you can split the minute to use the first 30 seconds to lunge with the right leg and use the second half for the left leg. Do this:
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width or hip-width apart. Bend your arms and bring them to chest level so that your elbows are parallel to the ground. You can clasp your hands together.
- Kick your right leg and push it back in a reverse lunge pose. Repeat it for 30 minutes.
- Do the same on the other side.
6. Oblique Crunch
Core work is necessary to glean some juicy gains. Ensure that the core muscles are engaged and your movement is controlled. Do this:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart or wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your arms and crown the back of your head with your hands so that your elbows are flared out to each side.
- Start the movement by bending your left side and bringing the elbow down to touch your knee as if your knees and elbows are trying to kiss.
- Stand straight again and repeat the same for the other side.
7. Bird-Dog Crunch
This low-impact cardio involves your core, upper body, arms, and legs. This workout tends to the abdominal wall and back as you learn to balance. Don’t arch or round your back. Do this:
- Start in a tabletop position where your wrists are directly underneath your shoulders, and your knees are directly underneath your hips.
- Push your right leg back like you are kicking a wall behind you, and extend your left arm forward as if you’re shaking hands with someone. Make sure your naval is drawing up, so you’re not plummeting. Maintain a flat back and work against gravity.
- Squeeze your naval and abs to draw your right knee and left elbow to meet at the center.
- Repeat the same for your left leg and right arm.
How To Prepare For Low-Impact Cardio?
You should consider certain things before you start:
- Walk at your workout place for a few minutes to warm up your body and get the blood flowing.
- You can also use this low-impact cardio as a warm-up for your high-intensity strength-training regimen because this workout has no adverse impact.
- You can adjust your regimen depending on the level of your fitness.
- Don’t forget to take breaks if necessary. It can be difficult for someone to continue each move in a minute, so taking breaks isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s you listening to your body and addressing its needs.
- You can amp up the intensity of the workout once it becomes too easy as you progress. You can use a light dumbbell or increase the time for each pose to reach a new milestone.
- Always listen to what your body is telling you.
You can join fitness classes in NYC. Check out our guides and reviews on different fitness classes in town. You can also find out which workout is best for you.
Other Low-Impact Cardio Alternatives
Multiple low-impact workouts are awaiting you. You can change your routine by following the low-impact cardio activities:
- Rollerblading: it’s fun, and you can tone your legs with minimum joint jarring.
- Cycling:Bike riding or cycling is a non-weight-bearing low-impact, fun activity. It also offers high-intensity interval workouts.
- Swimming:Use water’s buoyancy in your favor with swimming. It’s a total-body workout and the king of low-impact, joint-friendly activities.
- Rowing:rowing is the best way to build some strength.
- TRX:total resistance training or TRX uses suspension cables to take pressure off the joints. You can enjoy some quality low-impact workouts for the lower body.
Is Low-Impact Cardio Useful?
There’s no need for high-intensity training. You can get the most from a low-impact workout if being active and in shape is your goal. You can get a satisfying workout from these cardio exercises and raise the challenge as you get comfortable. For instance, increase the time, do more sets and reps, and include weights to get the most.
If you’re looking for hot low-impact workout routines in NYC, you’re at the right place. FitEngine offers reliable information on fitness classes in NYC. Our team of writers, athletes, and fitness coaches is always here to provide credible workouts, guides, and reviews about fitness insanity workouts, yoga classes, dance classes, flexibility mobility workouts, and stretching classes in NYC.
You can reach out to us for a personalized solution to your needs or book a class of your choice.
