Low Impact Exercise and the Benefits It Has on Your Joints
While it’s important to incorporate regular exercise into your lifestyles, a heavy physical activity can sometimes have a negative impact on your joints. If you suffer from joint discomfort or have an existing injury, then the pressure from any high impact exercise can have an adverse effect and possibly worsen symptoms. Low impact exercise places less stress on your joints but can be extremely effective and a great way to stay healthy. Read on to learn about low impact exercises and how you can benefit from adding them to your exercise.
What is Low Impact Exercise?
Low impact exercise is a type of exercise in which the amount of stress placed upon the joints of your knees, hips and ankles are relatively minimal. This type of exercise ensures that you can still participate in the cardiovascular exercise, without putting a high amount of weight on your joints.
Types of Low Impact Exercise
Joint Health
The term “low impact exercise” doesn’t sound very exciting, but don’t worry about being bored. There are plenty of low impact exercises that you can choose from, so you’re not just limited to one form of exercise. These range from shoulder and knee strengthening exercises, to working the lower body and cardiovascular system. A few examples of these are:
- Swimming – swimming is a great form of low impact exercise with plenty of benefits such as strengthening your shoulders and improving lung function
- Yoga – yoga is great for improving both your physical fitness and general wellbeing. The variety of postures and breathing exercises ensure you are developing strength, balance and flexibility whilst not putting any pressure on your joints
- Walking – walking is one of the most popular low-impact exercises. It is the easiest to fit into your busy schedule, plus you can pick up or lower the pace dependant on your fitness levels and physical ability
- Cycling – whether it’s an indoor exercise bike or a leisurely ride through the park, cycling is a great way to work your lower body and cardiovascular system without putting too much strain on your joints. It’s important to note that using a properly fitted bike is essential for this, otherwise, cycling could cause more strain on your joints.
If you find yourself strapped for time, you can easily incorporate these light exercises into your daily routine. Why not try walking or cycling to work instead of taking the bus? Or simply opt for the stairs instead of taking the lift. These little changes will help you live a healthier lifestyle whilst keeping your joints healthy.
Benefits of Low Impact Exercise
Adding exercise to your lifestyle can have a really positive impact on your health, body and mind. If you are inactive, there is a higher chance that you will have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and be overweight, which are all attributing risk factors to joint discomfort. However, not everyone is able to participate in high levels of exercise due to joint discomfort, injuries and many more. Here are some benefits of low-impact exercise:
- Strength and endurance – low impact workouts are great for slowly building up strength and muscle endurance over time without putting stress on the joints. Yoga is a particularly great low impact exercise for this.
- Fat loss – participating in low impact exercise is a great way to lose weight. For those suffering from joint discomfort or injuries, low impact exercise is a great way to still be able to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, without making existing conditions worse.
- Increased cardiovascular health – one of the most important reasons to exercise is to see an improvement in your cardiovascular system and prevent the development of cardiovascular disease. This doesn’t mean you have to be running marathons but doing regular low-impact exercises can help with your cardiovascular health.
Who Can Benefit from Low Impact Exercise?
Anyone can participate in and enjoy low impact exercise, especially those that may struggle with higher impact exercise. It’s important to always consult your physician before any new exercise routines. These exercises include:
- The elderly – Exercise is important for all ages, and that includes the elderly. However, as we get older we are more likely to develop health issues. Whilst our joints are becoming stiffer, sometimes people may experience a decrease in lean body mass as we age. Research shows that long-term exercise can slow down the process of losing our muscle mass, and therefore a 30-minute exercise routine once a day is highly recommended[1].
- The obese – Weight can play an important part when it comes to stress on your joints. Those suffering from excessive weight or obesity may experience more joint pain as the more weight that’s on a joint, the more stress that is applied to it. It’s not just the extra weight on the joints causing damage either, the fat is an active tissue that creates and releases chemicals which may promote inflammation[2]
- Pregnant women – Low impact exercise is recommended for pregnant women as it can help relieve discomfort and prepare your body for labor and delivery. Most women are apprehensive when it comes to exercise during pregnancy in case it causes any damage to the baby. However, the baby is surrounded by fluid in the amniotic sac, which is nestled inside the uterus, this is then surrounded by the organs, muscles and your physical body. All of this creates a rather safe environment for your developing baby. However, even though you have this protection it is still recommended to avoid any high impact exercises[3].
- Those with joint issues – When pain strikes it’s tempting to stop any physical activity at the risk of making your joints worse. However, keeping active is very beneficial for those suffering from joint discomfort. Certain exercises which work the muscles and tendons provide stability and strength around the joints (Penn Medicine, 2015). To help you keep your move on, taking Move Free Ultra Triple Action Tablets promotes joint, cartilage and bone health with 3 powerful ingredients for greater freedom of movement*.
There are many benefits of low-impact exercises on your joints. These exercises are also great for long-term, as it’s possible to do them daily and enjoy a healthy lifestyle without experiencing any pain after. By doing regular low-impact exercise, we are seeking the benefits of a more traditional exercise, without encouraging or aggravating any joint pain.
[1] Bel Marra Health, How Aging Affects Muscles, Joints and Bone Health, Nov 22, 2016.
[2] American Pregnancy Associations, Exercise During Pregnancy, Sept 2, 2016.
[3] Penn Medicine, Low Impact Exercises for Joint Pain, Sept 14, 2015.