5 No-impact Exercise Options for Your Next Workout

3 min read

Every movement we perform in life has a level of impact on our bodies (and specifically our joints). Some movements are more strenuous than others, and now and then it’s not always recommended to perform high-impact movements – especially when it comes to exercising (hell, sometimes we’re not even looking to engage with such exercises).

In such instances, that’s where low-impact exercises come in. Being a lot more forgiving on our bodies, these types of movements are more accessible for a variety of people while still providing benefits for those looking to be the healthiest versions of themselves.

Yet, as great as this is, there’s still a step further we can take things and move from low-impact exercises to no-impact ones. That’s where the real money is at.

Who Should Do No-impact Exercises?

Everyone can and should perform no-impact exercises as regularly as they can because the advantages are multifaceted. With this said, though, there are definitely certain groups of people who stand to benefit more from no-impact activities than the average person. These people are:

• Elderly,
• obese or overweight,
• freshly/recently injured,
• recovering from an injury (rehab),
• with a pre-existing condition, and/or
• pregnant women.

What are the Benefits of No-impact Exercises?

As the name suggests, no-impact drastically decreases the impact or strain that your body (and joints) experience when performing an action. However, beyond the obvious avoidance of stressing your joints across your body, people still stand to obtain:

• Cardiovascular benefits,
• muscular development,
• functional development,
• injury prevention/recovery, and
• lifestyle enhancements.

5 No-impact Exercises

So then, what are these five exercises that you could be doing now and then? Well, here you go:

Aquatic Exercises
When it comes to water activities, swimming is the obvious movement that comes to mind, but you’re not limited to trying to physically exert yourself in water. Other activities such as walking in water or even playing games can have merit depending on what you’re trying to achieve or what your current predicament is. When it comes to water-based activities and no-impact movements, your imagination may just be the limit as to what you can do.

Cycling/Rowing
The beauty of cycling and rowing is that you’re exerting force on a tool that will take the brunt of whatever impact is involved in the exercise. Fortunately, the act of pedaling or rowing isn’t one that demands involvement from our joints, nor do the motions strain the joints.

Aerobics
There are different types of aerobics and different levels of impact that come with each type. That said, and looking at the context of this article, you should look to pick aerobic activities that have the lowest level of impact on your body.

Yoga
Where to begin with this one? There are so many different types of yoga styles and purposes to them that “yoga” itself can be regarded as an umbrella term to talk about functional movements that promote your quality of life.

Yoga can help with your mobility, body strength, flexibility, strength, and a lot more while placing no joint strain. Also, you can have yoga as your main exercising activity or as a supplementary activity, depending on the style you select to pursue.

Mobility Exercises
Mobility exercises help combat stiffness and promote motion. Like any exercises, these become increasingly more important the older you get. Like yoga, mobility exercises are functional in nature as the benefits of the movements undertaken translate directly to everyday life. If you do yoga, you likely don’t need to undertake mobility exercises, but if yoga is not your thing, then mobility exercises can be an option.