Low Impact Cardio
Whether you have bad knees, hips, legs, ankles, shoulders— you can still get a great workout in. The solution— low impact workouts. These workouts, as I mentioned before, changed my life. It is as simple as my modifications blog post. Taking out a jump or any high-impact movement changes the exercise's feel, and you can still get the same results. Follow this circuit to get a great workout in; without damaging your knees!
Repeat this Circut 3 times for best results!
Try to push for a minute to 45 seconds for each excercise; but base it on how your body feels!
Standing Oblique Crunches-
Training your abs and your core is essential to stability and keeping a proper posture, contributing to your everyday life. So we are going to start with working on the core.
Here's how to do it-
Place your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms on the back of your head. Just like how you would if you were to stretch your back.
Let’s start on the left side- Brind your left elbow down and your left knee to touch.
Perform on the other side as well!
Reverse-Lunge front kick-
Putting two workouts together always accelerates the heart rate— and helps you feel the burn. Here, we incorporate a lunge to get that booty and a kick to incorporate some cardio and some core.
Here’s how to do it:
Stand with your feet shoulder with apart. You Can hold your hands in a praying form to your chest or challenge yourself; behind your head.
Kick your left leg out, then bring your leg back into a reverse lunge. If you have to tap the floor on your way down for balance, you can!
After completing the left leg, go ahead and repeat it with the right side!
Bicycles
This low-impact mood actually does not require any impact but is such a burner; fast or slow, you engage your abdominal muscles while using the total body for cardio.
Here’s how you do it:
Start by laying flat on the floor; use a mat or a blanket to protect your back; extend your legs out and place your hands behind your head with elbows bent.
Engage your abs as you bring your left knee to your right elbow and then your left elbow to the right knee. Repeat this activity in a fluid motion.
Remember to keep your abs engaged at all times.
Wide Side Steps
They can also be called puddle jumpers or shuffles; and are low impact with a high intensity; to increase the intensity, add a band or weighted anklets; but they are not necessary to feel this one!
Here’s how you do it:
Stand in a squat and push off your right foot and step with your left foot as wide as you can, acting as if you are stepping over a puddle.
Step left; holding a squat position for five steps.
Then, go right for five steps.
Keep your steps as wide as possible, and remember to stay low.
Inchworm
This is the best for your body and muscles; it strengthens and stretches. There is nothing better. While you move into a plank; you engage your shoulders, tricepts, chest and your abs; when holding yourself in a plank, as well as push yourself into standing.
Here’s how you do it:
Stand tall, your feet roughly hip distance apart.
Inhale; as you exhale start to reach down to the floor to touch your feet; allowing yourself to move one vertebra at a time.\
Once your hands are to the ground, inhale and walk your hands forward until you reach a plank position. When your hands are directly over youur shoulders; check to make sure that your arms are engaged, and your body forms a straight line from your head to heels.
Keep your legs straight and begin to walk your feet forward, at one step at a time, towards your hands; providing a stretch for our legs; as you lift your heels to the ceiling.
When your feet are close to your hands; return to standing position rolling up from the hips. When you go back in standing; you have completed one rep.
Repeat Motion
Lateral Lunge with Reach
This workout combines cardio and leg work. This is more of a modification for a skater movement; low impact style.
Here’s how you do it; stand with your feet wider than shoulder length apart.
Bend your left knee to 90 degrees while you push your hips down, while reaching towards your left foot with your right arm.
To return to standing, press through your heel and repeat on the other side.