Low-Impact Ways To Stay Fit

Low-impact workouts are beneficial for everyone, but especially people with joint problems. They are just one of the ways to stay fit without exacerbating an injury or causing undo stress on the body. What exactly does low-impact mean? It’s movement that doesn’t mean you’ll be slamming your feet against the ground, as with running or jumping. It helps reduce the potential risk of musculoskelatal injury. Think squats or for cardio, rowing or dancing.

Improve your joint strength, get relief from pain and protect your joints.

When you keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, you’re doing a low-impact workout. That could describe many types of workouts, particularly strength-building ones, like dumbbell presses. While squats were already mentioned, another familiar low-impact exercise is a lunge. Both of these can be done in a number of ways. For lunges, you can do forward lunges, reverse lunges, walking lunges and so on. The choice is unlimited. Squats can be also modified by narrowing or widening stance, working different muscle groups each time.

You need to include a cardio workout as part of a complete fitness program.

Running is just one way to get your cardio, but your feet slapping against the ground every mile can take a toll on your joints. Try jumping jacks without the jump, just stepping side to side or something as simple as walking. Ride a stationary bike and if you have knee problems, use low resistance. You can help lubricate the joints without putting any stress on it. By improving your circulation, you’ll get maximum benefit without the stress.

Aquatic workouts are definitely good for the joints and a lot of work.

Your body is more buoyant in the water, so it limits all the stress on your joints. In fact, doing an exercise in water not only reduces the pressure on the joints, bones and muscles, it can also boost the benefits. The water produces resistance that makes it 12 times more beneficial as the same movement on the ground. Just walking can be quite a task.

• Row, row, row your boat to get a good low-impact workout. Whether you use a rowing machine or actually row a boat, you’ll be working your body without the high-impact movements.
• Stretch your way to fitness or do tai chi. Both are gentle forms of movement that can help improve your muscle strength, without the risk of injury. Of course, you still have to do each movement correctly and consistently.
• Isometric exercises are another good way to boost muscle strength without injury. One simple isometric that is low-impact is to blow out your breath as you pull in your tummy and hold. It strengthens the stomach muscles.
• It’s not just the elderly or injured that should avoid high-impact exercises, people who are pregnant, overweight, have arthritis or those just starting a program of exercise can benefit.

For more information, contact us today at Get RIPPED! by Jari Love