This post discusses a low-impact workout for beginners.
Fitness is essential for health, yet over two-thirds of Americans don’t get enough exercise each week (CDC). Common barriers include age, fear of injury, and limited time or space.
The good news? Workouts don’t need to be intense, long, or done at a gym to be effective. You’re never too old to start, and even small, low-impact exercises can make a difference.
In this post, we’ll share a beginner-friendly, low-impact workout anyone can do.
What is Low-Impact Exercise
Low-impact exercise refers to physical activity that reduces stress placed on your joints, particularly the hips, knees, and spine.
Low-intensity movements are ideal for individuals with joint issues, arthritis, and those recovering from injuries.
Usually, these types of exercises involve keeping one foot in contact with the ground at all times, which helps to minimize impact and other jarring effects on the body.
While low-impact exercises tend to be gentle on the joints, they still provide a wealth of cardiovascular, muscular, and flexibility benefits.
Quick Note
If you want a simple plan to follow each day, my step-by-step walking guide for weight loss is available below!
Examples of Low-Impact Exercises
Some examples of low-impact exercises include walking, swimming, cycling, elliptical training, yoga, and other low-impact aerobics.
These activities, often recommended for those seeking effective workouts but with less strain on the joints, are suitable for individuals of various fitness levels, ages, and physical conditions.
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Low-Impact Exercises At Home for Beginners
All of the low-impact exercises mentioned below are great for beginners and can be performed at any time, as well as anywhere, but especially at home.
Most of them don’t require equipment, though you can use resistance bands, kettlebells, and free weights to progress the exercise.
Not to mention, you can modify the exercises to your liking.
Hammer Curls
Incorporating hammer curls into your workout routine offers a multitude of benefits.
First, since it primarily targets the brachialis muscle, which sits beneath the biceps, this exercise contributes to overall arm development and an increase in muscle mass.
Additionally, the neutral grip required to perform hammer curls alleviates strain on the wrists and elbows, making it a joint-friendly choice.
The exercise also stimulates your muscles differently, allowing for more balanced muscle growth and functional strength.
How to Perform Hammer Curls
Here’s a quick guide on how to perform hammer curls:
Step 1: Stand shoulder-width apart, arms extended, holding a dumbbell, band, or other resistance with palms facing your torso.
Step 2: Keep palms facing each other throughout the movement.
Step 3: Curl your hands toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms stationary.
Step 4: Squeeze your biceps at the top, then slowly lower back to start. Repeat for reps.
Push-ups
Push-ups are a highly effective bodyweight exercise.
They are incredibly low-impact and work multiple muscle groups, including the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.
Though it involves very simple movements, push-ups promote upper-body strength as well as endurance.
It’s also super convenient since it requires no equipment, is easy to integrate into your home or gym workouts, and is accessible to various fitness levels.
Moreover, push-ups may support stability and balance by engaging the stabilizing muscles.
They can also be modified to suit different fitness goals, making them a versatile exercise for building strength, toning muscles, and fostering cardiovascular health.
How to Perform Push-ups
Here’s a quick guide on how to perform push-ups:
Step 1: Start in a plank with hands slightly wider than shoulders, body in a straight line.
Step 2: Inhale and bend elbows, lowering chest and hips together while keeping a neutral spine.
Step 3: Lower until your chest nearly touches the floor, keeping elbows close to your body.
Step 4: Push through your palms to return to the plank, exhaling as you rise, engaging chest, triceps, and core.
Step 5: Fully extend arms at the top without over-extending. Maintain a tight core and repeat for reps.
Stiff-leg Deadlifts
Stiff-leg deadlifts, also called straight-leg deadlifts, are compound exercises best known for targeting the posterior chain, which includes the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
Performing deadlifts can increase flexibility in the hamstrings and promote hip mobility.
Additionally, this exercise works the erector spinae muscles, providing strength and stability in the lower back.
If performed often enough, stiff-leg deadlifts ultimately lead to improved posture, reduced risk of injury, muscle growth, and an increase in overall functional strength.
How to Perform Stiff-leg Deadlifts
Here’s a quick guide on how to perform stiff-leg deadlifts:
Step 1: Stand hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of thighs, knees slightly bent, back straight, core engaged.
Step 2: Hinge at the hips, keeping a neutral spine.
Step 3: Lower your weights toward your shoes until you feel a hamstring stretch.
Step 4: Engage hamstrings and glutes to lift back up, keeping knees mostly straight.
Step 5: Stand fully upright, extend your hips, and repeat for reps.
Good Mornings
Good mornings are another useful low-impact exercise.
Also a compound movement, this exercise is renowned for its effectiveness in targeting the lower back, hamstrings, and glutes.
They’re great for fostering strength and muscle in those areas.
Incorporating good mornings into your fitness routine regularly can support hip mobility, expand flexibility in the hamstrings, and help correct posture.
Furthermore, this is an invaluable exercise for building up core stability.
How to Perform Good Mornings
Here’s a quick guide on how to perform good mornings:
Step 1: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Optionally, hold a barbell on your upper traps or a weight at shoulder level.
Step 2: Hinge at the hips, pushing them back with a slight bend in your knees, keeping your back straight.
Step 3: Lean forward until your torso is parallel to the ground or you feel a hamstring stretch. Keep your head neutral.
Step 4: Engage your hamstrings and glutes to return to standing, driving the movement with your hips.
Step 5: Stand fully upright, maintaining control and focusing on the hamstring stretch. Repeat for reps.
Goblet Squat
Continuing with our list of highly effective, low-impact compound exercises, we have the goblet squat.
The goblet squat earns its name from the traditional technique of holding a kettlebell or dumbbell close to your chest, similar to how one would hold a goblet.
This exercise does a great job of activating the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core.
When performing a goblet squat, you do so with an upright torso, encouraging better spinal alignment and reducing strain on the lower back.
The exercise is beneficial for those working on lower-body strength and mobility as it requires a deep squatting motion, which further promotes flexibility and functional fitness.
They’re also an excellent option for beginners because of their simplicity and added stability.
How to Perform Goblet Squat
Here’s a quick guide on how to perform goblet squats:
Step 1: Stand shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell or dumbbell at your chest, elbows pointing down.
Step 2: Bend hips and knees to lower your body, keeping your back straight, chest up, and knees aligned with toes.
Step 3: Descend until thighs are parallel or elbows touch inner knees, keeping core engaged.
Step 4: Push through heels to return upright, hugging the weight and maintaining an upright torso.
Step 5: Repeat for reps.
Bird-Dog
Next, we have the bird-dog exercise.
This simple but powerful movement involves extending one arm and the opposite leg outward while maintaining a straight spine, engaging the core and lower back muscles.
By promoting spinal alignment and fortifying the muscles along the spine, the bird-dog can contribute to better posture and a reduced risk of lower back pain.
Moreover, this exercise enhances proprioception and coordination, since it requires both balance and control.
It’s also beneficial for people recovering from lower back injuries or seeking to build a stronger foundation for more advanced exercises.
The best part, the bird-dog is incredibly versatile and requires no equipment.
How to Perform Bird-Dog
Here’s a quick guide on how to perform bird-dog:
Step 1: Start on hands and knees, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips.
Step 2: Engage your core, keeping a neutral spine.
Step 3: Extend your right arm forward and left leg back, keeping hips level.
Step 4: Hold briefly, squeezing glutes and engaging core.
Step 5: Return to start and switch sides. Repeat for reps.
Flutter Kicks
Flutter kicks are a dynamic exercise that primarily targets the abdominal muscles, specifically the lower rectus abdominis (lower abs).
During the exercise, you lie on your back and lift your legs up and down in a kicking motion. As a result, the core, hip flexors, and lower abs are engaged.
This, in turn, not only helps tone and sculpt the midsection but also improves hip flexibility and strength.
Additionally, flutter kicks can be performed without any equipment and may increase endurance as well as stamina.
How to Perform Flutter Kicks
Here’s a quick guide on how to perform flutter kicks:
Step 1: Lie on your back, legs extended, arms by your sides, pressing your lower back into the floor.
Step 2: Lift legs a few inches off the ground, keeping them straight.
Step 3: Make small, controlled kicking motions, alternating legs.
Step 4: Engage your core to stabilize your lower back.
Step 5: Continue for the desired duration, modifying by raising legs higher or bending knees if needed.
Low Impact Workout for Beginners
Here is a simple low low-impact workout for beginners using the exercises mentioned above. Try them out twice a week.
Can you still lose weight with low-impact exercise?
Yes, you can absolutely lose weight with low-impact exercise. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. Low-impact workouts may not be as intense as their high-impact counterparts; however, they can still contribute to significant calorie burn and overall weight loss. Furthermore, though higher-impact exercises like running and jumping expend more calories in a shorter period, performing low-impact exercises consistently can lead to long-term weight loss success.
What is the best low-impact exercise to start with for beginners?
The best low-impact exercise to start with for beginners would be walking. This is an activity that is easy to do, requires very little to no equipment, and can be modified to suit various fitness levels.
Can you build muscle with a low-impact workout?
Of course! It is entirely possible to build muscle with a low-impact workout. Many forms of resistance training, such as barre, pilates, yoga, bodyweight, and resistance training, are considered low-impact but can contribute to muscle growth.
Is 30 minutes of exercise a day enough for beginners?
Yes! The American Heart Association, among other health organizations, recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week. This i,s along with at least two days of strength training per week. This evens out to about 30 minutes of exercise a day for 5 days per week.
How many days should a beginner start working out?
It’s important to factor in your fitness level and fitness goals when determining how often you should be working out as a beginner. That said, about 2 to 3 days of exercise during the week is appropriate for anyone just starting out.
Let’s Get Fit This Year!
Now that you have all the facts and a workout routine in tow, you have everything you need to start getting in shape this year.
Contrary to popular belief, adding low-impact exercises to your fitness routine can help you achieve your goals in a safe and convenient way.
If you have any questions or comments, leave them down below or send a message through the contact page.
Happy exercising!
P.S.-IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, CHECK OUT SOME OF THE OTHERS: 7 OF THE WORST EXERCISE MYTHS
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