When exercising, the bones, muscles and joints of the body experience an impact that can be in the form of pressure or impact. This collision is useful as a process of strengthening the bones and muscles of the body parts used during exercise.
However, physical stress from exercise can cause pain or fatigue too quickly for people who are not physically strong, such as the elderly or people with certain diseases, or even beginners who are not used to exercising. But don’t worry. There are many other types of exercise that have a lighter impact on the body so that you can still maintain your fitness. This type of light exercise is called low impact exercise .
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What is low impact exercise ?
Low impact exercise is a type of exercise that requires both or at least one foot still on the floor or a surface to support the body’s weight throughout the session — for example, walking . Low impact exercise does not burden the body’s joint performance so it is relatively safer for individuals who are prone to injury and fractures .
This type of exercise can also be done using assistive devices that can support weight such as bicycles and roller skates, or other sports that reduce pressure on the feet such as swimming , yoga or tai-chi.
Various other types of exercise can also be classified as low impact exercise as long as the sport is not too risky to put great pressure on the feet and still trains strength, flexibility and body balance. However, low impact exercise tends to burn fewer calories because it is done at a slow intensity.
Injuries during exercise generally occur in the feet when doing high-intensity sports such as running or jumping (which are high impact exercises) because they require constant movement in which the legs continue to alternate leaving the surface simultaneously.
Who should do low impact exercise ?
Low impact exercise is basically aimed at individuals who are very at risk of injury and fractures during exercise such as the elderly or people with chronic diseases that attack the heart, respiratory tract and arthritis sufferers . This method can also be done as an adjustment by beginners who want to implement an exercise routine, as well as individuals who are overweight or are pregnant.
In addition, reducing the intensity of physical activity and changing sports methods to low impact exercise also needs to be done to prevent injury. However, individuals with higher fitness levels still need to increase their exercise intensity to achieve higher heart rate and calorie burn during exercise. Therefore, combining low- and high-intensity exercise routines needs to be done and done alternately.
Examples of low impact exercise
Here are some examples of types of exercise that put less stress on bones and joints but are still effective at burning calories:
Walk
Walking is the most popular light exercise. Walking can easily increase the work of the heart and burn calories by increasing the speed of walking or walking on an uphill surface.
Bicycle
Cycling can be an effective aerobic exercise option to strengthen the lower body. However, the intensity depends on the speed and route traveled, so it requires adjustments to the intensity and duration of cycling. In addition, cycling is also at risk of causing injury due to the improper size of the seat and bicycle handlebars.
Swimming
Swimming is a type of exercise that involves various muscles of the body but tends to cause pressure because it is done in water. Swimming can also be effective in losing weight if done at a consistent pace during one swimming session.
Yoga
Yoga can improve fitness and overall health by performing certain postures and breathing exercises and various postures that train the body’s strength, balance and flexibility and are beneficial in improving mood.
Tai chi
Tai chi is a sport originating from China that can improve mental and physical health by performing a series of slow and regular movements. Although it doesn’t improve respiratory function or burn large amounts of calories, it can improve strength and balance.