Introduction
The best low-impact exercises for joint health are those that use your own body weight as resistance. This means that they’re great for people who want to avoid putting stress on their joints and muscles, but still want to get in shape. In this article, we’ll talk about why low-impact exercises are so important for your overall health and wellness. We’ll also cover some of the best ways to stay active without putting too much strain on your body–so you can keep moving forward with confidence!
Types of Low-Impact Exercise
- Walking
- Swimming
- Biking
- Yoga and Pilates are good options for those who want to focus on flexibility and strength but don’t want to put too much strain on their joints. If you’re looking for something more intense, try tai chi or other martial arts classes emphasizing balance and coordination.
Benefits of Low-Impact Exercise for Joint Health
Low-impact exercise is a great way to improve your overall health and fitness, as well as reduce stress on your joints. It’s also an effective way to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and range of motion, improve balance and coordination, burn calories, and lose weight.
Joint-Friendly Tips for Low-Impact Exercise
- Warm up and cool down properly. A proper warm-up and cool-down can help you avoid injury and improve performance, but it’s also essential for joint health. “Warming up increases blood flow to your muscles, which helps prevent injuries,” says Dr. Paul Turek, MD. “It also increases flexibility so you’re less likely to pull a muscle during exercise.”
- Start slow and progress gradually as your body adapts to the activity over time (think of this like building strength). If you push too hard at first, you might end up feeling sore or even injuring yourself–and that’s no fun!
- Listen to your body: If something feels uncomfortable while exercising (like pain), stop doing it immediately until the discomfort goes away; then try again later when everything feels better again (or seek medical attention if necessary). And remember that everyone is different–if an exercise hurts one person but doesn’t bother another person at all, then perhaps they should stick with what works best for them rather than trying something else just because someone else said so!
Research on Low-Impact Exercise and Joint Health
Researchers have been studying the benefits of low-impact exercise for joint health for decades. In fact, one of the first studies on this topic was published in 1982 by researchers at the University of California at Davis who found that regular walking can help reduce osteoarthritis pain and stiffness in people with knee osteoarthritis. Another study out of Sweden found that even just 20 minutes per day of brisk walking reduces inflammation in joints and improves mobility among older adults with osteoarthritis. A third study from Norway showed that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be more effective than moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) when it comes to improving physical function and reducing pain among people with hip osteoarthritis.
Potential Risks of Low-Impact Exercise
While low-impact exercises are generally considered to be safe, there are some risks that you should be aware of.
- Injuries due to incorrect form: If you don’t have proper instruction in the exercise or use poor technique, it’s possible to injure yourself during a low-impact workout. This can happen with any exercise but is especially common with lower-impact activities because they require more balance and coordination than higher-impact ones. If your form isn’t perfect or your muscles aren’t strong enough, this can lead to strains or sprains in the muscles and joints involved in performing an activity (such as knees).
- Overuse injuries: Another potential risk associated with low-impact workouts is overuse injuries such as tendinitis (inflammation around a tendon) or bursitis (inflammation around bursae). These conditions occur when too much pressure is applied against one area repeatedly without allowing adequate rest time between sessions; this puts extra stress on those areas which may cause them discomfort until they heal fully again–which could take weeks!
Conclusion
If you’re looking to maintain your joints and avoid injury, here are some of the best low-impact exercises for joint health:
- Walking
- Swimming
- Cycling (stationary or outdoors)
- Yoga/Pilates
References
If you’re interested in learning more about the research behind this article, we’ve included some links below.