A Low-Impact Workout You Can Do With Just Your Bodyweight
to Get Breathless
This routine delivers
cardio and strength without pounding your joints.
You may think you need to run, jump, or do other explosive, plyometric moves in order to really challenge yourself during exercise. But we have a stellar low-impact workout that proves you can get in a sweaty session without pummeling your joints and ligaments.
Both strength
training and cardio workouts can be created to be low-impact. Low-impact simply refers to a
style of exercise that gets your heart rate up while minimizing the amount of
stress and impact on your body, physical therapist Kate Bochnewetch, DPT, CSCS, founder of the
Running DPT in Buffalo, tells SELF. In low-impact
workouts, there is zero running or jumping, and you have at least one foot on
the ground at all times if you’re doing a standing exercise, she says.
As for who low-impact work is
great for, Bochnewetch recommends it as a gentle, nonintimidating option for
beginners, older adults, and anyone returning to exercise after taking time
off—whether due to an injury or for another reason. More specifically
low-impact workouts can be a good bet for people who are pregnant, have
osteoarthritis, or have low-back pain, Bochnewetch adds. (That said, if you
have joint issues, a health condition that affects your ability to exercise, or
are new to exercise, get clearance from a doctor or physical therapist before
starting new workout plans or routines.)
What’s
more, any exerciser
can benefit from a low-impact workout, no matter their fitness level.
Remember: You shouldn’t go hard during every workout—so even if your
workout routine is peppered with high-impact HIIT workouts or plyo moves,
incorporating a low-impact workout is an important way for your body (and your
joints!) to take a bit of a breather.
Interested in
learning more about low-impact workout benefits, whether you’re looking for a
low-impact workout after surgery, a low-impact beginner workout, or simply a
gentle routine you can sub in between your HIIT routines? Keep reading for more
information on why you should include low impact in your weekly workout
routine—and for a great one to try out right at home!
Are low-impact
workouts effective?
You don’t need
to do a bunch of running or jumping to get in a really good
workout—which means, yes, low-impact workouts can be effective and provide
great benefits. Depending on how you program your routine, a low-impact workout
can help you build both strength and cardio endurance.
So while
high-impact moves can get
your heart rate up and make a workout really feel challenging, they aren’t
necessary for a great strength session, aerobic exercise routine, or even a
combo of both.
“You can still
have a really hard workout without having that high-intensity impact component,
”says Bochnewetch. For example, you can easily make a workout with low-impact
exercises feel challenging by reducing rest time between moves (similar to a
low-impact HIIT workout), by increasing the volume (basically, do more reps and
sets of each exercise), by adding weights, by choosing compound exercises over isolation moves (and thus working more muscle groups
at once) or by increasing the time that your muscles are under tension (for
instance, pausing at the bottom of a squat). Amping up the intensity of your
low-impact workout with any of these hacks will help spike your heart rate and
thus provide low-impact cardio.
To maximize the benefits of a low-impact workout, Bochnewetch
created the routine below that uses time under tension, a higher rep count, and
a shorter rest period to deliver both low-impact cardio and strength.
What are good low-impact
exercises?
In many cases
good low-impact exercises include traditional strength training moves you’re
likely already familiar with—compound moves that work across multiple muscle
groups, just without any plyo or explosive additions. Think: a regular squat versus a
pop squat, a regular lunge versus a lunge to jump, or a glute bridge versus a single-leg glute bridge march. Moves that combine
multiple compound exercises, like the squat to curtsy lunge, can also up the
challenge without adding in a greater impact.
Good low-impact
exercises can also include modified versions of traditional “cardio” exercises
(usually high-impact ones), like the skater hop or jumping jack. In these cases
you’d still go through the move quickly, but the exercise would be tweaked to
make sure one foot remains on the floor at all times. Core exercises are good choices for low-impact moves too.
Are jumping jacks
low impact?
Traditional
jumping jacks are not low impact—they’re considered high-impact moves since
you’re jumping your feet out. That said, as we mentioned above, you can make jumping jacks
low impact. And low-impact jumping jacks, where you step your foot out to the
side rather than jump it out, can definitely rev up your heart rate, making a
great addition to a low-impact cardio routine. In fact, Bochnewetch included
this move in the low-impact strength and cardio workout she created for SELF!
How can you
incorporate low-impact workouts into your weekly workout plan?
You can do this
low-impact workout below twice a week to start and then progress up to every
other day, Bochnewetch says. Just make sure to warm up your body beforehand.
Bochnewetch recommends doing something simple like 30 seconds of bodyweight
squats followed by 30 seconds of arm circles or modified push-ups, then
repeating that sequence one or two more times for two or three rounds total.
You can also check out this five-move
warm-up designed to prep you for any
workout.
Ready to
seriously challenge your heart and muscles while going gentle on your joints?
Keep scrolling a low-impact home workout you’ll want to keep coming back to!
The Workout
What you
need: Just your bodyweight. You may also want
to use an exercise mat for comfort.
Exercises
- Eccentric squat
- Bird-dog crunch
- Glute bridge
- Squat to curtsy lunge
- Modified jumping jack
Directions
- Do each move for 10–12 reps, then rest 30
seconds before moving onto the next move. After you’ve completed all five
moves, rest 1 minute. Then, repeat the circuit. Complete 3 to 4 rounds
total.
1. Eccentric Squat
- Start with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged
and hands clasped at chest height.
- Over the course of three seconds, slowly lower into
a squat by sending your hips back and bending both knees until your thighs
are parallel to the floor.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement,
then press through your heels to quickly return to standing. That’s 1 rep.
- Do 10–12 reps.
This squat variation is more challenging
than a regular bodyweight squat because it includes a slowed-down tempo on the eccentric part
of move (the part when the muscles are lengthening under load). Make sure you
keep your weight in your heels. And, when you are lowering down, push your butt
back like you are sitting in a chair.
2.
Bird-Dog Crunch
- Start on your hands and knees in tabletop position
with your wrists stacked under your shoulders and your knees stacked under
your hips.
- Extend your right arm forward and left leg back,
maintaining a flat back and keeping your hips in line with the floor.
Think about driving your foot toward the wall behind you.
- Squeeze your abs and draw your right elbow and left
knee in to meet near the center of your body.
- Reverse the movement and extend your arm and leg
back out.
- That’s 1 rep. Do 10–12 reps, then switch sides and
repeat.
This core exercise targets your back and
abdominal muscles and also incorporates balance and stability work, Bochnewetch
says. As you perform reps, make sure your back stays neutral—don’t let it round
or arch. If you have knee pain, place a cushion underneath your knees and
perform reps from there.
3.
Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back with your hands at your sides,
knees bent, and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart.
- Squeeze your glutes and abs, and push through your
heels to lift your hips a few inches off the floor until your body forms a
straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Pause and squeeze your glutes at the top, then
slowly lower your hips to return to the starting position. This is one
rep.
- Do 10–12 reps.
·
As you bridge up, make sure that you’re not
overextending your spine—lift your hips off the ground until your body is in
one straight line from your shoulders to knees, but don’t push past that point,
says Bochnewetch. Make it harder by doing a single-leg glute bridge or
a glute bridge march.
4.
Squat to Curtsy Lunge
- Start with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged,
and hands held in a prayer or fist at chest height.
- Do a squat by hinging at the hips, sending your hips
back, and bending both knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- As you stand, bring your right foot behind your left
leg, placing it down diagonally and behind you.
- Bend both knees and sink into a curtsy squat,
keeping your hips tucked and core engaged.
- Return to your starting position and do another
squat, then repeat the curtsy lunge on the other side. That’s 1 rep.
- Do 10–12 reps.
This compound exercise, which combines two
classic leg moves (the squat and curtsy lunge), is great for lower-body
strengthening. It works your glutes, quads, and hamstrings and will also get
your heart rate up.
5.
Modified Jumping Jack
- Stand with your feet together, core engaged, and
hands at your sides. This is the starting position.
- Step your right foot wide to the right and bring
your arms up to clap your hands overhead. Leave your left foot in place.
- Step your right foot back to center and bring your
arms to your sides to return to starting position.
- Now, step your left foot wide to the left and bring
your arms up to clap your hands overhead. Leave your right foot in place.
- Step your left foot back to center and bring your
arms to your sides to return to starting position. This is 1 rep.
- Continue in this way, moving as quickly as you can,
for 10–12 reps.
This low-impact version of a jumping jack
is pretty much a pure cardio move. Make it more intense by increasing your
tempo, says Bochnewetch.
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