It can be grueling getting fit, especially if you are not an athlete at heart and your idea of a good time is just relaxing on the couch at home with your feet up. But it is obviously necessary, not only to get and stay in shape but also to consider further along the line how many health problems can be avoided if you are simply in shape. But perhaps you already do not have much time or a long walk home from school or university or work, and you are not able to go running for another hour. We have just the solution for you. Low-impact physical activity. Most likely, you were not even aware of the High Impact exercise, so let us just run over both types before getting to the details.
High-Impact Workout
High-impact exercise is usually defined as an exercise in which both your feet leave the ground at the same time, like running, skipping rope, jumping jacks, etc. One of its main benefits is its intensity, as it leads to an increase in your heart rate that burns calories, strengthens your muscles, and shifts your metabolism into fat-burning gear. Supplements can aid you in overcoming challenges, so taking a look at products seen at Supplement First is always a good idea. These natural products are important for losing weight and lowering the risk of developing certain chronic medical conditions down the line.
Low Impact Workout
However, high-impact workouts are not for everyone, as previously mentioned. Some people who start doing them can end up with joint pain or problems with their ankles, shins, knees, hips, backs, and so on. These are often contained in a cycle, where a person does the high-impact workouts, injures themselves, and maybe has to take a break for weeks, or possibly even months. After recovering, they may try the exercises again and injure themselves, and the cycle starts again. That is of no use to anyone. Combined analyses of multiple large studies have suggested that competitive runners have a greater risk of knee osteoarthritis than people who run for recreation. So concerns over high-impact exercise are valid, especially when done in high doses, high intensity, and by people who are not accustomed to exercises this vigorous.
Make the Most of It
Do not make the mistake of thinking that low-impact exercise necessarily means low-intensity exercise. It is all about getting your heart rate up and burning fat, with a good pre-workout that you can find here. so the type of exercise you do ends up being less important than the intensity at which you do it. It’s important to start small when starting out on a new workout journey. Injuries usually occur in the first few weeks, as your body is still unfamiliar with the new stress, so try following these tips:
- Choose exercises you enjoy, maybe something like swimming, yoga, stretching, etc. You’ll find it much easier to stick to the plan if you enjoy yourself, instead of dragging yourself through each step. Ask a friend to join you now and then, everything is fun when you’re in the company of someone close to you.
- Keep attention on your form, so you can prevent joint issues or the like later. If you’re doing an exercise for the first time, try watching a video as a tutorial, ensuring you do it in the most effective way and with the least risk of injury.
- Focus on within, not the mirror. Pay attention to your heart rate, and how you’re feeling rather than checking the mirror every few minutes to see whether you have Hollywood abs yet. Maybe refrain from setting specific goals, and instead aim for a higher heart rate, where you can feel your blood pumping through your system.
- Give interval training a look. This is great for people older than 50 who are looking for a way to burn fat. You basically alternate between high-intensity and low-intensity exercises. For example, run at 80% of your maximum effort for maybe a minute, then 40% for another minute. Repeating these gets you into fat-burning mode much faster.
You want to be fit, but you don’t want to injure yourself on the path, so do the workouts, but do them carefully, and when you feel that something is not quite right, don’t stubbornly punch through, but stop and consider what you may be doing wrong. Low-impact exercises are a fantastic way of getting into shape, so stick within a comfortable zone that pushes you, but not beyond your limits.