Bring your feet back together, and repeat, continuing to “shuffle” to the right, propelling yourself with your left foot as you go. You can burn 481–713 calories/hour by keeping your stroke rate at 150 watts, which the machine can help you keep tabs on, FYI. Work quickly, but to maintain the low-impact approach, don’t jump. Walking is great for your health, but how much do you need to walk to aid weight loss? If you need a low-impact exercise regimen, look no further. Resistance training (think: lifting weights, battle ropes, and mountain climbers) can double as low-impact cardio too—really. Does Walking 1 Hour Every Day Aid Weight Loss? And as always — listen to your body. Repeat three times through for a butt-kicking low-impact cardio workout. Don't worry, you'll still be burning calories and boosting your heart health. Hitting the trails burns approximately 440 calories per hour (for a 160 pound person), according to the Mayo Clinic. The low-impact version omits the jump but will still make you work. You can burn about 400 calories per hour working out in the water. Stand up, and when your legs are extended, throw a cross-body punch with each arm. Because this routine is low impact, you may be able to complete it several times a week without adverse effects. Daniel Bubnis, M.S., NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS, 10 Aerobic Exercise Examples: How to, Benefits, and More, Why This Yoga Instructor Believes Yoga Is Not Enough, Skip the Running: Alternatives to High-Impact Exercises, Why Cardio Kickboxing Is an Awesome Workout. Here are a few ideas. Benefits extend from…. After you complete all six exercises back-to-back, rest for 1 minute, and then start the circuit again. A good warm-up exercise, low-impact jumping jacks will get your heart pumping and muscles moving. Here is how…, Abdominal bracing is a technique that can help you protect injury-prone areas like the neck and lower back from straining. Working in both the frontal and sagittal (side-to-side) planes will make your muscular strength more well-rounded. You can work out right from home with this low-impact cardio workout designed by Melody Davi, CPT. If you’re sick of circuits and are burned out on walking or doing the elliptical, consider one of these low-impact activities: Complete our low-impact cardio circuit several times a week to see improvements in your cardiovascular endurance and strength in just a month or two — no sprints necessary. Low Impact Cardio Options That Are Still High Intensity 1. What is a “Pain Cave” and How Do You Power Through It in a Workout or Race? But is it real? Squat down, ensuring your chest is up, butt is back, and knees are out. Stand up and proceed right into another kick, then another reverse lunge. You can adjust this workout based on your fitness level. During an intense workout, the “pain cave” is the point of physical and mental fatigue. Give your joints a rest and test your stamina with these high-intensity, low-impact…. Her philosophy is to embrace your curves and create your fit — whatever that may be! Many typical cardio workouts involve lots of jumping and impact on your joints (think: running or jump squats), whereas low impact exercises avoid this. Low Impact Cardio Options That Are Still High Intensity 1. Running and jumping are surefire ways to get your heart rate going. In addition, you'll be … Your left arm should be straight down and right arm bent comfortably up at your side for balance. Start by standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your arms down at your sides. You could burn an average of 568–841 calories/hour. If the routine gets too easy, you need to up the ante to continue seeing results. To begin the movement, bend to your right side, bringing your elbow down as you simultaneously bring your right knee up to touch. © 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Shift your weight toward your right, pick up your right foot, and push off from your left foot to move your body to the right. If you need a low-impact exercise regimen, look no further. Repeat the same steps on the left side. Start by standing with arms down at your sides. Ensure that your core is engaged and the movement is controlled for maximum effect. Climbing stairs is another one of the best cardio exercises you can do to burn calories, upwards of almost 700 calories per hour when your clearing 77 steps per minute. It can include activities like brisk walking or cycling. In addition to being an A+ option for active recovery, German says low-impact cardio is great for those who are new to working out, injured, or returning from injury, in particular. If you aren’t already incorporating low-impact cardio exercises into your fitness routine, there are a ton of ways you can do it and each kind of low-impact cardio training has its own perks. Women's Health participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Cardio kickboxing offers both a fun and challenging workout that helps you build stamina, burn fat, and create lean muscle. So, what can you do on off days in order to get your cardio fix? She was featured in Oxygen magazine’s “Future of Fitness” in the June 2016 issue. It’s when the exercise feels impossible to finish. You could even use this as a long warmup to a strength-training routine. Nicole Davis is a Boston-based writer, ACE-certified personal trainer, and health enthusiast who works to help women live stronger, healthier, happier lives. You’ll feel the burn with this combo move. It's all about keeping the intensity high. Here are four recommended exercises to complement yoga for optimal…, Running may not be a good option if you have knee trouble. Add a light dumbbell in each hand, or add time to each set to maintain a challenge. fitness pros suggest taking 48-hour breaks between these types of training sessions, You could burn an average of 568–841 calories/hour, You can burn about 400 calories per hour working out in the water, How Trainers Torch Calories Without Doing Cardio, 8 Sinful-Sounding, Low-Calorie Muffin Recipes, The Best Cardio Workout for People Who Hate Cardio. For example, a 160-pound person could burn 423 calories per hour swimming at a low to moderate pace—more if they opted for a faster stroke rate, according to the Mayo Clinic. A high-intensity rowing workout is a low-impact way to rev your heart rate big time. Start in a curtsy lunge position with both legs bent, your right leg behind and across your body. This makes it ideal for those with joint injuries or conditions, or when you need a break from high impact training. By adding high-intensity intervals to a steady state or low-intensity stationary bike workout, you'll turn it into an anaerobic exercise, which means you'll continue burning calories at an elevated rate even after you stop pedaling. Last medically reviewed on September 17, 2018, You probably know aerobic exercise as cardio. Stop if something feels wrong. Whether your cycling, strength training, or doing plyometrics in the water, the H2O takes the impact out of your joints without killing your calorie buzz. Step your right foot out, and at the same time bring your arms up above your head. All rights reserved. But high-impact cardio workouts like these can also put a ton of stress on the body, which is why fitness pros suggest taking 48-hour breaks between these types of training sessions. Anabolic window refers to the short time after training when your muscles are repairing and recovering. Stationary Bikes. To begin, kick your right leg out straight in front of you, and on the way down, step back into a reverse lunge. Abdominal Bracing Exercises to Take the Strain Off Your Back. Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. "If you train using high impact regularly, adding some low-impact training one to two times per week is a great way to prevent overtraining and decrease your risk of injury,” says Trudie German, CPT, and founder of Body Envy. You can reduce your muscle mass by doing the opposite of what you would do to increase muscle mass: Consume fewer calories, use lighter weights and…. If you can’t complete 1 minute of each move without stopping, take breaks as you need them. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms bent, hands on the back of your head and elbows flared out to the side. We’ve taken the guesswork out of things by creating a 20-minute low-impact cardio circuit that’s great for everyone — bad knees, bad hips, tired body, and all. We recommend splitting the minute in half, lunging with your right leg for the first 30 seconds, then your left leg for the second 30 seconds. Channel a speed skater when you complete this move. But even a steady-state basic rowing machine workout will get you gains. There are tons of low-impact cardio options hiding all around you. Working Out Based On Your Menstrual Cycle Is Legit, 7 Pro Athletes’ Top Hair Hacks For Summer, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. There's a reason people refer to swimming as running in water. Lower-impact exercise moves allow you to leave one foot on the ground, and tend to be gentler on your joints and muscles." Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You see, like a high-impact workout, low-impact cardio also strengthens and improves your respiratory and cardio fitness. Return to your starting position. There's a reason Kim Kardashian's trainer Melissa Alcantara had her hop on a Stairmaster (wearing ankle weights) during an intense cardio workout the reality TV star recently shared on her Instagram. We had to throw in some core work for good measure. Go as quickly as you can during this movement while maintaining your form. You can exaggerate the arm movements to burn maximum calories. You can burn 498–738 calories/hour when you're pedaling at a vigorous pace. That’s because low impact doesn’t mean low intensity, says German. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Jasmine Gomez is the editorial assistant at Women’s Health and covers health, fitness, sex, culture and cool products. Low-impact cardio workouts can be a great alternative or supplement to running as they allow you to build a strong aerobic base without punishing your legs and joints with more pounding. (It's also one of the best cardio workouts for burning calories.) Pushing off the left leg, begin to stand, bringing the right leg forward and swinging your left leg back and across, switching arms as you go. Below are six exercises you should do for 1 minute each, jumping right into the next when the minute is up. There is no right or wrong way to pair muscle groups for a strength workout, but some pairings make a bit more sense. You want to ensure you’re working both legs equally, so shuffle right for a set amount of space or time, then shuffle left for the same, filling up your 1 minute of working time.