This post discusses a low impact workout for beginners.
Everyone knows fitness is an important aspect of our health and overall wellbeing.
However, according to a CDC study, over two-thirds of Americans aren’t getting enough exercise throughout the week.
And these numbers only worsen the further south we go.
While there may be a litany of reasons people give for not working out, some of the most cited are due to age, fear of injury, and lack of space or time to be physically active.
Fortunately, exercises don’t always need to be intense or sweat-inducing to be effective. Nor do they require a facility or much time to complete.
You’re also never too old to whip your body into shape even if it’s for the first time.
In this post, we’ll share a low impact workout for beginners that’s perfect for just about anyone starting their fitness journey.
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.
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 joint, are suitable for individuals of various fitness levels, ages, and physical conditions.
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 resistant 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 in an upright posture with your arms fully extended. You may have a dumbbell, band, or any other form of resistance in hand to increase intensity. However, keep your palms facing your torso.
Step 2: Maintain a neutral grip with your palms facing each other throughout the entire movement.
Step 3: Keeping the upper arms stationary, exhale, and curl the hand up toward your shoulder.
Step 4: Controlling the movement the entire time, squeeze your bicep at the top.
Step 5: Inhale and slowly lower the hand back to the starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions.
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: Begin in a plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward. Remember, to keep the body in a straight line from head to heels.
Step 2: Inhale and bend your elbows as you lower your body toward the ground. Make sure that your chest and hips descend as one, and keep a neutral spine.
Step 3: Lower your chest until it’s about to hover or lightly touch the floor. Avoid excessively flaring your elbows, they should be close to your body to protect the shoulders.
Step 4: Next, push through the palms to extend your elbow and return to a plank position. Focus on engaging your chest, triceps, and core throughout the movement. Exhaling on the way up.
Step 5: Fully extend your arms at the top of the exercise, locking out your elbow but not over-extending. Maintain a tight core and straight body throughout. Then 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 an 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 with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs. Engage your core, bend your knees slightly, and ensure your back stays straight.
Step 2: With your spine neutral, hinge your hips back.
Step 3: Lower the weight toward your shoelaces with control until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings.
Step 4: Engage your hamstrings and glutes to lift the weight back up, with minimal bending of the knees.
Step 5: Stand upright, fully extending 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: Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart. Though you don’t need to perform this exercise with weights, you may rest a barbell or free weight on your upper traps (upper back muscles)-not on the neck-. Alternatively, you may cuff the weight in front of your body at shoulder level.
Step 2: Start by hinging at the hips, pushing them backward while maintaining a slight bend in the knees. Maintain straight during the exercise.
Step 3: Lean your torso forward until it is parallel to the ground or until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Keep the back straight and your head in a neutral position.
Step 4: Activate your hamstrings and glutes to stand. The movement is driven by the hips, with little bending at the knees.
Step 5: Stand up straight, fully extending your hips. Maintain control throughout the exercise, focusing on the stretch in the hamstrings during the descent. Repeat for the desired number of 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 with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell or a dumbbell vertically to your chest, with your elbows pointing down.
Step 2: Lower your body by bending at the hips and knees simultaneously. Keep your back straight, chest up, and ensure your knees are in line with your toes.
Step 3: Descend until your elbows touch the inside of your knees or until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Keep a strong core throughout the movement,
Step 4: Push through the heels to return to the starting position, fully extending your hips and knees. Hug the weight close to your chest and retain an upright torso.
Step 5: Perform the exercise for the desired number of 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: You’ll start this exercise on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Place your wrist directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
Step 2: Tighten your core to stabilize the spine. Keep your back neutral.
Step 3: Lift your right arm forward and your left leg back simultaneously, drawing a straight line from your hand to your heel. Reach and extend as much as possible while ensuring the hips stay level.
Step 4: Hold the extended position for a moment, focusing on balance and engaging your core and glute muscles. Squeeze your glutes to maximize the effectiveness of the exercise.
Step 5: Return to the starting position in a controlled manner, switching to the left arm and right leg. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of 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 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 with your legs extended straight and your arms resting by your sides. Press your lower back into the floor to engage the core.
Step 2: Lift both your legs a few inches off the ground, ensuring they are straight. You can also point your toes slightly if you like.
Step 3: Make small, quick kicking motions with your legs, alternating between lifting one leg higher and lowering the other. Keep the rhythm steady and controlled.
Step 4: Focus on engaging your core throughout the exercise. This helps stabilize the lower back and maximizes the impact on your abdominal muscles.
Step 5: Continue the flutter kicks for the desired duration. You can modify this movement by lifting the legs higher or bending the knees slightly.
Low Impact Workout for Beginners
Here is a simple low impact workout for beginners using the exercises mentioned above. Try them out twice a week.
Q & A
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 is 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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