If you suffer from joint pain that makes exercise difficult and uncomfortable, or if you’re just trying to avoid joint pain, then try low impact workouts. The common misconception, is that a low impact workout means low calorie burn. But that doesn’t have to be the case. We have five low impact exercises that have serious calorie blasting potential, without placing excess stress on your joints. The first three are exercises that you might be familiar with already. Then, when you’re ready to learn something new, check out the last two moves that do it all.
1. Reverse Lunges into Dumbbell Curl & Shoulder Press
How:
- Begin with your feet together, standing tall and holding dumbbells at your sides.
- Step backward into a lunge while keeping your arms at your sides and lightly tap your back knee on the ground.
- From this position, step your back leg up to meet the front.
- When your feet are back together, curl the dumbbells up, twist your wrists so your palms face away from you, then raise the dumbbells overhead.
- Perform the reverse motions back to the starting position.
- Repeat with the opposite leg.
Why are these so great?
Because there is no excessive impact on your joints, performing this move at high repetitions will elevate your heart rate and strengthen both your lower and upper body. They’ll work on your balance as well as your leg, arm and shoulder strength to burn calories quickly, plus giving you a total body workout.
2. Push Ups with Dumbbell Rows
How:
- Get into a push up position.
- Instead of placing your hands on the ground, hold two dumbbells in your hands.
- Perform a push up with your feet about shoulder width apart.
- When finished with the push up, perform a row with one arm by pulling the dumbbell close to your chest.
- Lower the dumbbell back to the ground.
- Perform the row on the other side.
That’s one rep!
Why are these so great?
This upper body exercise allows you to work your core, chest and back all in one. With multiple muscle groups being used and when performed with high repetitions, this move will work up a sweat and burn calories. When performed slowly and with control it’ll work your core strength even harder while creating a low impact exercise.
3. Fan Bike
Fan bikes have calorie blasting potential because they make you work your upper and lower body at the same time. Not only are you pedalling with your feet, but you’re also pumping with your arms. The resistance provided by the fan will make you sweat in seconds.
What’s the best way to burn the most calories?
Intervals.
- Perform all out sprints with the fan bike for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds
- Repeat.
The interval training will elevate your heart rate quickly and burn calories instantly. The cyclical nature of the fan bike will provide the low impact workout you need to keep your joints safe and feeling great.
4. Elliptical
The elliptical is one of the easiest exercises to do and it burns calories with hardly any impact. Because of the continuous, controlled motion of your arms and legs, there’s constant movement with little impact that will get you sweating and burning calories quickly and effectively.
What’s the best way to burn calories?
Try going for distance at a fast pace. A great way to burn calories with the elliptical is to perform a set time at a high speed while being able to maintain the same pace throughout the duration of the workout.
5. Walking
Walking burns more fat than running, but it takes a lot more walking to burn the same amount of calories as a short run. If you walk at a fast pace you can burn upwards of 200 calories per hour. Because running can be hard on the joints, walking as fast as you can for a good hour is a great way to burn calories and keep your joints comfortable.
What’s the best way to burn calories?
Up the elevation. Adding elevation on a treadmill or going for a hike through the hills can help burn up to 150 calories per hour. The elevation will fire up your glutes as well as give your body that extra challenge to work up a great sweat and burn calories quickly.
