If you have pre-existing injuries to your joints, or are new to working out, you can still find a spectrum of sports and exercises that are easy on the knees. Low-impact exercises are a safe and effective way to strengthen your body and cardiovascular systems – all without straining your joints.
In this article, we’ve jotted down our top five low-impact exercises to help keep you in shape. While they’re gentler on your knees, they can still make you break a sweat and put your physical endurance to the test!
1. Swimming
Water adds resistance during your workout, which is great for your joints. The buoyancy from the water reduces stress on your ligaments, and cools your body when you exercise, which reduces overheating. Swimming also gives you a great workout and helps you to burn lots of calories!
2. Cycling
Cycling can help you to put on muscle, particularly around your glutes, calves and quads. Besides that, it offers a host of cardiovascular benefits that doesn’t strain your joints. Just grab a bike and head down to East Coast Park, which provides a great environment for cycling long distance with an amazing view!
3. Rowing
Rowing is another low impact exercise that benefits all your big muscle groups. It’s ideal for strengthening your lower back and ab muscles, plus, it burns more than other aerobic exercises that require the same effort, like running or cycling. You can join a rowing team which helps make the sport more exciting, but some gyms may also house rowing machines.
4. Yoga
Besides strengthening your body and joints, yoga also helps you relieve tension and stress – a holistic exercise for your mind and body! There’s a myriad of yoga styles for you to choose from, ranging from beginner to advanced levels, which combines strength, stretching, breathing and meditation exercises.
5. Rollerblading
Rollerblading is a good cardio exercise option that’s easy on your joints. Additionally, the sport can help to strengthen your leg and core muscles and can be modified to suit how challenging you want your exercise to be. Make the most out of your exercise by doing intervals with increasing speed. However, when doing so, remember to wear protective gear such as a helmet and enough padding on your knees to avoid injury.
If you’re looking for joint health products, head on to our wellness Marketplace! We have a range of supplements, gels and creams to help with joint mobility, flexibility, recovery and protection. We also have other fitness packages and meal plans to help you keep active and healthy. Click here to enter Marketplace and start shopping!
