Low impact exercises

Low impact exercises, as the name suggests, are low-intensity exercises where one of your feet is always on the ground. These workouts do not involve pounding or too much force on the lower joints, thus making them low impact. There are a lot of people who cannot do strength training and high impact exercises and therefore low impact exercise suits them the best. Pregnant women, people with osteoporosis, older people and people with muscle and bone injuries benefit the best from these exercises.

Even if you don’t fall in any of the above categories, incorporating low impact exercises in your regime can help you add variety to your workouts.

Listed below are some of the low impact exercises you can try:

1. Walking- Walking is the most popular low impact exercise. It’s the go-to workout for older adults and pregnant women. Walking relieves stress, helps you manage weight, is good for your heart health, improves balance and coordination and betters your mood. Grab your shoes, start your favorite playlist and go for a 45-minute walk. It will refresh you so much you would want to do it every day.  
2. Swimming- Swimming works your entire body. And because it is underwater, the stress on your muscles is lower yet helping them get toned. Swimming helps build strength and endurance is one of the finest forms of cardio. A 160-pound person burns approximately 430 calories in an hour of swimming. It’s safe for pregnant women too as it helps one manage stress and sleep better. Plus, you get to work out and splash water! Double fun!
3. Cycling- Cycling is an amazing form of outdoor activity. It promotes a better heart health, helps you build your glutes and hamstring muscles, saves you time, reduces pollution and helps you sleep better. Cycling also improves your brain power as the blood flow to the brain increases during cycling. It also helps you grow your social circle with like-minded people who love outdoors and fitness equally.
4. Dancing- Dancing is a pleasant way to get some exercise into your routine without it actually feeling like an exercise. You can try Bollywood dancing, Zumba, salsa or any other dance form as a part of your routine. It’s a great way of developing your social skills and also helps you stay in shape.

Fitness is an everyday journey and if you find it hard to do high impact workouts, any of the above exercises are the best for you. You can even combine them and try different routines that will help you stay active, healthy and happy. Happy Exercising!

Amrita Saraf Rai lives in India with her Husband. She has been a sales and marketing professional for the last seven years but her true passion is Food, fitness, and writing. She is a freelance writer who creates relevant content for brands. She loves combining resistance and interval training in her workouts to stay healthy.