Research suggests that moderate intensity, low-impact activity is just as effective as high-impact activity in lowering the risk of heart disease.
However, low-impact activities won’t help to maintain healthy bones to protect against conditions such as osteoporosis.
Circumstances when high-impact exercise isn’t advisable include:
- If you're pregnant.
- If you have injured your joints, bones or connective tissue injuries.
- If you have chronic problems, such as arthritis, osteoporisis or stress fractures.
- If you're very overweight.
- If you’re new to exercise.
“Low-impact exercise doesn’t put the joints under much stress,” says Robin Gargrave, executive director of YMCAfit, one of the UK’s leading trainers of fitness professionals.
“The idea is that it’s less likely to cause an impact-type injury, such as an ankle sprain or cartilage tear.”
Here are some of the most popular low-impact activities.
Walking
Walking is by far the most popular low-impact exercise to work the cardiovascular system and burns calories. To get your heart rate up, aim to walk faster than a stroll. Picking up the pace can help you increase the intensity of your workouts. Add short bursts of speed or an occasional steep hill to your walking workouts.
Step aerobics
Whether at home or in a gym class, step aerobics is great if you like choreographed exercise but can’t handle the pounding of high/low aerobics. Because you're stepping on to an elevated platform, you can get your heart rate up without doing any jumping.
Stretching
Stretching helps to lengthen the muscles and tendons, making them more flexible. As you get older, regular stretching may help to keep you mobile. Keeping the tissues around the joint pliable helps to slow down the onset of common degenerative conditions, such as osteoarthritis. Stretching increases physical and mental relaxation and reduces the risk of joint sprain, muscle strain or back problems.
Cross-country ski machines
These machines, found mostly in gyms, provide excellent aerobic conditioning and can improve muscle strength. They use most of the muscles of the body and help you to burn many calories. Ski machines are also low impact, so you don't put strain on specific joints. They're great for all-round fitness.
Rowing machines
Rowing offers a complete low-impact body workout. It’s a great aerobic alternative to cycling and running, provided you have the correct posture. Done correctly, rowing elevates the cardiovascular system and works the abdomen, back and upper body. A rowing machine can also be used to warm up for other activities.
Cycling
Cycling is a low-impact activity, but you can still injure yourself if you have the wrong size bike or the saddle and handlebars are at the wrong height. Cycling is an aerobic exercise that works your lower body and cardiovascular system. Start slowly and increase the length of your cycling sessions gradually.
Swimming
Swimming works the whole body and is a great way to tone up and get trim. A few lengths involve most of the muscle groups and, if you increase the pace, you’ll get a brilliant aerobic workout too. Swimming can also help you lose weight if you swim at a steady and continuous pace throughout your session.
Aqua aerobics
Water aerobics is a low-impact activity but it requires basic swimming ability as it's mostly done in water that is waist high or deeper. Aqua-aerobic workouts use a variety of techniques taken from studio aerobics, including walking or running backwards and forwards, jumping jacks, various arm movements, and moves from cross-country skiing.
Pilates
Pilates focuses on rebalancing the body and improving posture through slow, controlled movements and exercises. You always keep one foot on the ground when you're doing Pilates, so it's good for people who cannot, or must not, move around too much or jump about. It's also good for people who are overweight.
Yoga
Yoga can improve both your physical fitness and your general wellbeing, through a series of postures and breathing exercises. Regular yoga practice helps to keep your body fit, control cholesterol levels, reduce weight, manage stress, normalise blood pressure and improve heart performance.
T'ai chi
This ancient Chinese art can harmonise the mind, body and spirit, promoting both mental and physical wellbeing. Movements are slow and controlled so you won't improve your cardiovascular fitness or get a calorie-burning workout. However, it helps to improve strength, flexibility and balance.
