How to Have a Low Impact Workout and Still Lose Weight

High impact workouts are great for losing weight, but what if you can’t handle this type of workout?  You obviously don’t want to give up on your weight loss goals, but you need a workout that’s going to be low impact.  Well fortunately, you can have a low impact workout and still lose weight fast.  If fact, you can get great results without having to worry about slowing down from an injury. 

High impact workouts may give you great benefits, but they come with big risks as well.  Your body may not be able to handle all of the jarring caused from high impact exercises like jumping or running.  Low impact workouts use exercises that are easy on your body.  There are several exercises that are low impact.  Some of the best ones are walking, swimming, cycling, and rowing.  You can also use machines like the stair climber, elliptical, and cross country skiing machine.  Any of these exercises will give you a great workout.  To get the most from your low impact workout, follow the suggestions below.

A low impact workout doesn’t have to mean slow.  If you want more results from your workout, then pick up the pace.  If you can’t handle a fast pace throughout the entire workout, add more speed in gradually.  Bump up the speed for as long as you can.  Then return to your normal pace.  Do this as often as you can during your workout.  It won’t be long before you’re able to get through the entire workout at a fast pace.  You’ll burn a lot of calories this way. 

High impact workouts give you the most calorie burning in the shortest amount of time.  Since you don’t have the luxury of doing these workouts, you’ll need to focus on working out for longer periods.  Find an activity you are comfortable with and a pace that isn’t too exhausting, and try to workout for at least 45 minutes.  If you’re able to do more, that’s great.  If you can’t do the 45 minutes at the beginning, do as much as you can and increase your time gradually. 

One of the best ways to get the most from a low impact workout is to use your upper and lower body.  Choose exercises that work your entire body like swimming.  You’ll burn a lot more calories in a shorter amount of time.  If you’re working out at the gym, choose a machine that you can add arm movements like the elliptical.  You can also increase the intensity of your workout by increasing the difficulty, for instance walking uphill burns more calories than walking on a flat surface.  Most exercise machines allow you to program the level of difficulty.  You can increase it as much as you want. 

These tips for low impact workouts will make sure that you get the exercise you need for fast weight loss.  Avoiding high impact exercises doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice results.  You just have to work a little harder to burn more calories.