Low impact exercises can burn calories similar to high impact exercises, but without the wear and tear of your joints. Low impact exercises are great for overall fitness and individuals that are new to fitness or prone to sports injury. Low impact exercises allow the exerciser to build fitness gradually and strengthen the supportive tissue that supports joint and bone health. A certified weightloss coach or any other type of trainer that has a certified trainer certification will be asked for low impact exercises that build health and wellness without injury. Here are some popular low impact exercises that burn calories:
- Walking. Walking is one of the greatest exercises that individuals can do. It builds cardiovascular fitness, tones the entire body, and helps to maintain a healthy BMI (body mass index). Walking is something you can do indoors on a treadmill or outdoors at a favorite park or trail. Include your family and take walks together to build fitness and family bonds together.
- Elliptical machine. Elliptical takes the movement of running, but softens it into a low impact exercise that gives you many of the same benefits that running provides. Elliptical training burns calories, builds cardiovascular fitness, improves endurance, and increases blood flow by increasing the amount of oxygen your red blood cells can carry throughout the body. Health and fitness courses have included at-home cardio machines such as elliptical trainers since they have come down in price and have increased in popularity for home use.
- Swimming. Swimming offers a variety of different fitness perks depending on what type of activity you do. Resistance training in the water helps improve lean muscle mass using your body weight against the gravity and resistance of the water. Cardio exercises, such as running or speed walking, in the water takes all of the pressure off the joints allowing those recovering from injury to rehabilitate safely. Traditional swimming strokes help burn calories and provide a full body workout.
- Recumbent bike trainer. Stationary bikes provide a challenging cardio workout that tones all of the major leg muscles within the safety of gym or the comfort of your home. The quality of the bike trainers at the gym are different than the home models available for home use and the commercial bikes have a more real feel that you can adjust to meet your personal needs and accommodations.
- Pilates programs fit well into this category as well for the challenging low impact workout that Pilates can offer. Pilates classes help tone the entire body and burn more calories that yoga. Pilates can be done on a mat at home or on a Pilates machine at a health club or private studio. Both styles of pilates help build core strength and burn calories.
