7 Benefits of Low-Impact Workouts—And Why Fitness Pros Love Them

Exercise of any kind is important, but some forms of fitness are more sustainable long-term than others. High-impact exercise, such as running, can be hard on the body over time, which is why you may be looking for other alternatives to sprinkle into your routine. Low-impact exercise, on the other hand, is gentle on the joints, which is why most fitness professionals advise incorporating it into your workout regimen. 

This form of exercise allows you to stay fit—both cardiovascularly and in terms of strengthening muscles—without incurring a ton of wear and tear on your joints. This enables you to comfortably workout at every stage in life, and can help to prevent injury that may be debilitating down the line as well. But just what is low-impact exercise, and how is it different from exercise that is low in intensity? Below, Peloton instructor Rebecca Kennedy unpacks everything you need to know about this gentle but effective form of exercise. 

What Is Low-Impact Exercise?

When you hear the term “low-impact exercise” you might think it’s referring to exercise that is low in intensity, a.k.a. easy. This isn’t the case. “Low-impact exercise is movement that is gentle on your body and places less stress on the joints [than high-impact exercise], yet still provides a generous output of energy or resistance on the muscles and cardiovascular system,” says Rebecca. In other words, low-impact exercise is a highly effective form of fitness that’s not easy but rather easy on your body. Examples include hiking, walking, strength training, low-impact cardio, Pilates, and more. 

Low-intensity exercise, on the other hand, involves reducing the amount of effort or intensity in your workouts, keeping your heart rate relatively low, and/or lifting lighter loads, says Rebecca.

Low-impact exercise can be low-intensity, but it can also be high-intensity as long as it’s a type of exercise that reduces the load and stress of your joints. For example heavy deadlifts are high in intensity but do not include any jumping or plyometric movements, which means they’re low in impact. Another example of a high-intensity, low-impact workout is hiking, or walking on the treadmill at 12-15 percent incline at a moderate to brisk pace. “This mimics the intensity of a flat jog or easy run cardiovascularly, but the impact on the joints is largely reduced, making it feel good and easier to do for most people,” says Rebecca.  

The Benefits of Low-Impact Workouts

There’s a reason fitness experts love low-impact workouts and recommend everyone incorporate them into their fitness regimen, no matter their fitness level. Below, Rebecca runs—or, walks—through the benefits of this gentler form of exercise: 

Fewer injuries and a better-feeling bod: Because they place less stress and strain on the joints, low-impact workouts leave the body feeling good both during and after the workout, says Rebecca. They also reduce the risk for longer-term injuries to joints like the knee, which can suffer over time from higher-impact workouts. 

Reduced recovery time:  “Since impact is reduced, recovery time is also reduced, enabling these types of workouts to be done more often—which is incredibly helpful when it comes to building a realistic and sustainable training routine,” says Rebecca. 

Helps to build muscle mass and bone strength: Rebecca says including low-impact cardio and low-impact resistance training is “critical” to building muscle, maintaining strong bones, and improving endurance. “Specifically for women, it's incredibly important as we age to maintain as much muscle mass as possible to offset hormone reduction,” she says. 

No limits: “I love that this type of workout can be done daily if desired, whereas HIIT only needs to be in your routine 1-2 times per week,” says Rebecca. 

Accessible: “These workouts have a lower bar to entry, making this type of exercise suitable for almost all people,” she says. 

Complements other forms of training: Rebecca says that low-impact exercise improves cardio conditioning, coordination, and balance. 

Fun!: “These workouts are endorphin-boosters, and allow people to feel successful right away, which is a big confidence-booster,” says Rebecca. 

8 Low-Impact Workouts 

One of the best things about low-impact workouts is that there is a lot of variety within the category, and you can engage in both low-impact cardio and low-impact resistance training. Some examples of low-impact workouts include the following: 

Hiking 

Kennedy defines hiking as a 20-30 min walk at a 10-15 percent incline, and a speed between 2.5-3.5 miles per hour. You can hike outdoors or in—for the latter, try Peloton’s Hike classes on the Peloton Tread.

Walking

Taking a simple 30-60 min outdoor walk is a great way to incorporate low-impact exercise into your fitness regimen, says Rebecca. Walking on a treadmill also works, and the Peloton App has a number of classes that will keep your indoor walks motivated and exciting. 

Cycling 

Cycling of all kinds is considered low-impact exercise, so whether you hit the streets on your bike or clip into a Peloton Bike, pedaling it out can be a great low-stress way to get fit. 

Pilates  

Pilates is a famously low-impact way to strengthen your entire body. The Peloton App offers Pilates classes at all levels. 

Rowing 

Rowing is great if you’re looking for a low-impact cardio workout that also strengthens muscles in your shoulders, arms, and back. If you have a Peloton Row at home, you can try classes at any level on the Peloton Row.

Strength Training

Pilates isn’t the only form of strength-training exercise that’s low-impact. On the Peloton App, you can find low-impact strength training workouts that utilize dumbbells, resistance bands, and bodyweight. 

Dance Cardio

Some forms of dance cardio can also be low-impact, says Rebecca. You can find low-impact cardio class options on the Peloton App. 

Swimming

Swimming is a full-body workout that does not strain the joints, due to the buoyancy of the water.  

If you’re looking for specific low-impact exercises, here are a few of Rebecca’s favorites: 

3 Low-Impact Exercises

Clear the Room

Walking Lunges

Inchworm Push-Up

5 High-Impact Exercises, Modified to Low-Impact

Some high-impact exercises can be modified to be low-impact. In fact, Rebecca’s Peloton classes often take the format of a HIIT workout, but swap the usual movements with low-impact versions. Here are some of her favorite modifications:

Squat Jumps

The low-impact version of this move, says Rebecca, becomes an air squat with a calf raise. “There is no jumping with the low-impact version,” she says. This modification can also serve as an alternative to a box jump. 

Snatches

These become ‘ground-to-sky’ exercises, says Rebecca.

Jumping Jacks 

Jumping jacks become no-jump jacks, says Rebecca. “It’s just like a jumping jack, but you eliminate the jump,” she says.

Burpees

 Low-impact burpees eliminate the mid-burpee jump. 

Mountain Climbers

The only difference between a high-impact mountain climber and a low-impact mountain climber is the pace at which you move your legs. High-impact will feel more like a ‘jog’, while low-impact should feel more like a ‘walk.’ With low-impact mountain climbers, one foot should be on the ground at all times, and your motion should be slower and more controlled.  

Low-Impact vs. High-Impact Workouts: How to Know What’s Best For You

According to Rebecca, low-impact exercise is beneficial for everyone at all ages, levels, and goals. More specifically, here are some examples of those who may benefit from low-impact exercise: 

Beginners: “If your goal is to begin a new training routine or maintain your current fitness level, low-impact exercise is perfect,” she says.

Those wanting to build muscle:  If your goal is to build muscle, Rebecca recommends primarily focusing on strength training, and then adding in 10-30 minutes of low-impact cardio training after your lifts, or doing 30-45 minutes of low-impact cardio on your non-lifting days. 

Those recovering from an injury:  “If your goal is to come back safely from an injury, low-impact exercise is gentle on the joints,” she says. 

Those training for a race: “This is an excellent way to get in more endurance training on your non-training run days,” says Rebecca. 

Pre- and post-natal individuals: Low-impact exercise can be a safe and advantageous workout to begin with (as long as you are cleared by your doctor) and slowly add in more over time, says Rebecca. 

High-impact exercise has its unique benefits as well, says Rebecca. For example, it can help you reach the high end of your aerobic capacity, raising your heart rate to zones 4-5, she says, whereas low-impact workouts keep you between zones 2-3. Boosting your heart rate in this way helps to build cardiovascular endurance and improve heart health. 

High-impact exercise is also useful because it’s beneficial to stress the joints in a limited capacity weekly in order to make sure your joint capacity is getting stronger, says Rebecca. Strengthening your joint capacity—a.k.a. the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support and stabilize your joints—is crucial for maintaining long-term mobility, preventing injuries, and enhancing overall physical performance. ​​

Still, Rebecca emphasizes that because high-impact workouts require more recovery time during and between workouts, they’re not something that should be done daily. “They can raise stress hormone levels within the body and also have a higher risk of injury,” she says. “The bar to entry to high-impact workouts is also higher, so it's something to work up to, but not the best starting place as a cardio option,” she says. 

Takeaway

If you’ve been engaging only in high-impact exercise, it’s time to incorporate low-impact exercise into your fitness regimen. Doing so will benefit your body in both the short and long-term. This is likely good news, because low-impact workouts can be as simple as taking a walk around the block or on a treadmill, can be done every day, and there is a lot of variety within the category. Not sure where to start? Check out the following class types on the Peloton App: Low-impact cardio; Rowing; Cycling; Walking; Pilates; and other forms of strength-training.