High impact exercise like running and jumping puts extra stress on our joints and bones, especially knees and ankles, which causes pain and can put us off exercise altogether. So is there an alternative?
Low impact exercise is the perfect substitute, it doesn’t involve sudden jarring movements, putting less strain on your joints. But don’t mistake low impact for low intensity – at Gemma Pearce Fitness, we can get just as sweaty doing low impact exercise!
Low impact exercise is great for people who have joint pain, injuries, arthritis and other health conditions that come on as we get older. Some great low impact classes we run online and face-to-face are Pilates, WalkFit and Zumba Gold. Swimming, walking and yoga are also marvellous low impact exercise.
Can I get fitter with low impact exercise?
Most definitely! We can do low impact cardio work to get the heart rate up and the lungs working harder at home from a seated position to start with if you like. When you feel more confident, walking is a wonderful low impact exercise. Perfect for all fitness levels, you set the pace and over time improve the distance, the steepness or how briskly you walk.
What are the benefits of low impact exercise?
As well as being easier on your joints, low impact exercise improves our mood by releasing endorphins, the ‘feel-good’ hormones. Our heart health improves which helps to protect against heart disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 Diabetes. Low impact exercise also gently builds muscles that support our bones and joints and help with balance and strength.
Low impact exercise is the best way to get fit with less risk of injuring or worsening an existing joint problem. At Gemma Pearce Fitness, we always offer a low impact alternative to a high impact move, for instance, instead of a sit up/crunch, we’d do a dead bug (come and see us if you don’t know what one of those is!) to put less strain on the back.
What about low impact and low intensity?
Pilates is a perfect example of this, and it does so much good for our mind and body. We work on our core strength, our breathing and alignment to improve strength and balance.
If you’re returning to exercise after an injury, need to adjust your exercise so you don’t worsen joint pain, or need to slow the pace a little, low impact exercise is definitely for you. Listen to your body and speak to us about how you can get fitter, stronger and happier by enjoying a whole range of low impact exercises.
Take a look at our classes and get in touch at www.gemmapearcefitness.co.uk