Many people stray away from low impact workouts because they think they’re too easy, but low-impact doesn’t necessarily mean low-intensity. Low-impact workouts are easier on your joints as there’s no jumping or hopping, which puts you less at risk for injury. If you’re looking to work up a sweat and get your heart rate racing with low-impact workouts, here’s how to do it.
Add Weight
To make the exercise more intense, add weights like a kettlebell when you’re completing squats or lunges or wear a weighted vest or ankle weights for walking exercises.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands wills make your workouts more intense by ramping up the impact. For squats, add a resistance band around your thighs to make your muscles work harder as you work against your own body weight and the resistance of the band.
Switch Up the Pace
A faster pace results in a faster heart rate and more calories burned. In addition, if you slow things down, it can make the exercise more difficult.
Cardio Intervals
If you love a high-calorie burn, but don’t want high-impact moves like burpees and high knees, you can get a similar effect by using a cardio machine like a stationary bike or elliptical and doing interval work.
Compound Movements
Compound movements work more than one muscle group at the same time. The exercises boost your heart rate and increases the demand on your body. Some compound movements include deadlifts, squats, pullups, and bench presses.