7 Low Impact Exercises That Torch Calories

Burning those calories and keeping knees and joints in one piece can be quite the task. Fortunately, there’s a way to do so – low impact exercise.

Low impact exercise provides big burns but creates less stress on your knees, hips and ankles and we’re going to take a closer look at some of the very best low impact options for exercise there are.

Walking

Let’s start simple and state the obvious – walking is one of the very best low impact and calorie burning exercises out there. Anyone can start walking and increasing intensity week after week can turn your easy 20 minute stroll into a calorie burning effort. Utilising hills, alternating walking speeds between fast and slow and incorporating steps into the exercise will add to the burn.

Zumba

This Latin inspired cardio workout is the perfect way to keep atop the exercise wagon and is a fun and social way to get fit and eradicate calories. Zumba is vigorous for certain, however as it incorporates a lot of waving and upper body movement, as well as low impact dancing, it is kind to joints and great for boosting endorphin levels.

Get on your bike

Cycling is a near no impact workout if the bike you choose is well fitted to your frame. You can incorporate cycling into your regime by using it in getting from A-B or alternatively, take it up a notch by taking part in a spin class. If you’re the competitive sort, going for the burn, spin classes with their thumping music and healthy competition are a great way to push your body. At Vibe Personal Training we would advise that you mix sprints and moderate speeds to create as much burn as possible.

Elliptical trainer

The ultimate no impact workout, the elliptical trainer is an easy to use and pain free way to train and utilises both the upper and bottom of the body to engage a lot of muscles. It’s a great machine for burning fat all over the body.

Skate

If you can skate then you can perform a low impact, calorie burning exercise. The main thing to look out for is a smooth surface. Pavements often have cracks, so try finding smoother landscapes such as car parks or parks. Increasing intensity can be achieved by finding uphill routes for skating.

Swimming

No matter what your weight is, whether you arthritis or joint problems, swimming is a fabulous exercises that is both cardio and weight bearing. The dual benefit of this is that you burn calories during the swim and also builds muscles, which help burn calories when resting. Beginning with 30 minutes of laps at slow crawl and building on this in terms of time and speed as the week’s progress will result in increasing fitness and strength.

Rowing machines

So, underrated, the rowing machine is one of the best pieces of gym equipment as it provides a muscular and also a cardio workout that works the upper and lower body. It helps with posture, core muscles and helps encourage you to stand straighter. In addition, the harder you work, the more resistance there is, which is great for toning arm muscles.

So, as is quite clear there is plenty of low impact, high calorie eradicating exercises out there that ensure you never have to worry about your knees again.

This is a guest post by Vibe Personal Training, top personal training business in Bury, UK. They are strong advocates of using whatever works for their clients and have a strong focus on individual planning. You can get in contact via twitter @vibe_pt_studios.

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