Losing weight doesn’t necessarily mean doing very intense workouts. Low-impact exercises offer a gentle, joint-friendly approach to your weight loss efforts while still producing results. That’s why we spoke with fitness experts who reveal the five best low-impact workouts for weight loss that are effective in burning calories and improving your fitness.
“As a fitness professional, one of the most common questions I get asked is: What are the best low-impact workouts to stay fit without putting too much stress on your joints? Whether you’re recovering from a injury, whether you want to protect your joints, or simply prefer gentler exercises, low-impact workouts can still give you an effective full-body workout to help you lose weight,” explains Michael Cummingsdirector of education at BlazePod.
Now let’s see what the experts have to say about the five best low-impact workouts for weight loss.
The Best Low-Impact Workouts for Weight Loss:
Bounce

Rebounding involves bouncing on a mini trampoline, also called a rebounder. It’s an incredibly fun, productive, low-impact workout. The surface of the trampoline absorbs much of the impact that would otherwise put excess strain on your joints during exercises like jumping or running on a hard surface.
“Rebounding works your entire body, from core to legs, arms and glutes. It’s fantastic for improving cardiovascular fitness, toning muscles and burning calories,” says Cummings. “In fact, some estimates suggest that bouncing can burn as many calories as running at a moderate pace, but with much less strain on your body.”
Whether you’re a total beginner or a more advanced rebounder, there are plenty of exercises you can do, including simple rebounds or more complex workouts including lunges, squats, and jumping jacks.
Elastic resistance (Resistance bands)


Elastic resistance, also known as resistance band training, is a versatile, low-impact workout that’s easy on the joints and great for sculpting your muscles and improving body composition.
“Unlike heavy weights, which can cause strain when used incorrectly, resistance bands provide a gentle, controlled range of motion,” says Cummings. “Resistance bands provide a gradual increase in tension as they are stretched, minimizing the risk of swinging dead weight. [In addition,] The bands maintain tension on the muscles throughout the movement, which improves muscle engagement and improves both endurance and strength.
RELATED: 6 Best Resistance Band Workouts to Maintain Weight Loss
Ashtanga / Vinyasa Yoga


Yoga is a great low-impact workout. “Ashtanga yoga (a more vigorous type of yoga) and vinyasa yoga (a more fluid, flowing style) both involve linking movement with breathing to create a meditative but full-body workout,” says Cummings.
Combining deep breathing with a continuous flow of poses helps burn fat and build endurance, strength and flexibility. “The benefit of ashtanga and vinyasa is that they build functional strength without putting undue stress on the joints,” adds Cummings. “These practices involve bodyweight exercises that target multiple muscle groups and challenge the muscles, mind and nervous system.”
Weightlifting


Any form of weight-bearing exercise helps melt fat and build muscle. You can use weight machines or free weights such as dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells to perform these exercises.
“I recommend targeting major muscle groups, including [the] legs, back, glutes, chest, arms and abdominals”, explains Meggan Berg, CPT and studio head at Stay for life. “A basic routine might include three sets of eight to 12 repetitions to start and one minute [of] rest between. Specific movements I recommend are squats (any variation), deadlifts, alternating lunges (forward or backward), push-ups or bench presses, bent-over rows, lat pulldowns, bicep curls , tricep dips or kickbacks, and shoulder presses. These movements will amount to a well-rounded routine. It doesn’t have to be all done in one day; they can be broken.
Aquatic trainings


Grab your swimsuit and get ready to hit the water. Deep water swimming and running are great low-impact workouts for weight loss. Resisting the drag force of water challenges your body while burning calories.
“Swimming strengthens the back, trunk, legs, [and] shoulders and is also very scalable, so you have the ability to control the intensity by adjusting your speed, distance and running style,” says Berg. “If you’re new to water, I recommend starting slowly and briefly and build your endurance. strengthens. Running and swimming in deep water helps increase endurance and strength without the risk of injury.
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