The Facts About Low-Impact Training

[TotallyOz]

The Facts About Low-Impact Training

When it comes to working out, people spend a lot of time talking about high-impact training. This makes some sense – we live in a culture that wants to get the most bang for their buck.

People see high-impact training as a short cut to losing weight and getting a ripped body that people will notice. So, they often dismiss low-impact training as something that's not for them because it might not deliver the results they want as quickly as they want.

But, the truth is that low-impact training can be just as important, if not more so, than high-impact training. And, high-impact training isn't appropriate for a lot of people. It can be dangerous and has a much higher chance of causing injuries – and in some cases heart attacks, cardiovascular problems and strokes - than the much safer, but just as effective low-impact training.

There are entire classes of people who should stick to low-impact training and never attempt high-impact workouts. These include elderly people, pregnant women, women who are trying to get pregnant, the obese, anyone suffering from arthritis, people who have not exercised in the past few years, and anyone who has suffered a muscle injury or a broken bone in the past six months.

In fact, one of the reasons why so many older people don't exercise is that they are afraid of high-impact exercises, or their doctors have warned them against high-impact workouts. This is because as people get older, they are much more at risk for broken bones or elevating their heart rates to dangerous levels during high-impact workouts.

But low-impact workouts carry none of these risks.

This is a good thing, because as people educate themselves about the benefits of low-impact workouts they are destined to become more popular, and people will need to have the training and the equipment to do them correctly.

If you suffer from osteoporosis or arthritis, low-impact workouts can have a huge impact on the quality of your life. Low-impact workouts stimulate the growth of muscle tissue, which then helps build new bone tissue. The result is that you end up with stronger bones and suffer less from osteoporosis and arthritis.

Low-impact workouts also stimulate the body to create more essential glucose and deliver more oxygen to your muscles. This has the wonderful side effect of naturally controlling your blood pressure – which greatly reduces your chances of becoming a victim of a heart attack or other cardiovascular disease.

The main difference between a high-impact workout and a low-impact workout is that with high-impact workouts, you put more strain on your muscles, bones and heart. That's why low-impact workouts are safer. The good news is that a well thought-out low-impact workout program can burn off just as many calories and help you get in shape just as well as a high-impact workout - without any of those risks.

But, what exercises are considered low-impact? That's a good question, and we are going to spend some time now talking about exercises that are not only low-impact, but also extremely effective at helping people lose weight and live healthier lives.

• Walking. This is the most basic low-impact exercise possible, and probably the one that most people will start out with. Walking works most of the muscles in your body, and you can either do it on a treadmill at the gym or outdoors. It doesn't matter; the results are the same. You can incorporate walking into your life simply by not driving to work three or four days a week. Or you can take a walk through the park, or decide to walk from place to place when you go out. It's an easy way to burn calories and help your cardiovascular system. To get the most out of walking, swing your arms when you are walking outdoors, or don't hold onto the side of the treadmill if you are at the gym.

• Hiking. This is the advanced version of walking. Find a hill or some other area of ground that has inclines and declines. You use different muscle groups when you are walking uphill than when you are walking downhill. Both burn off more calories than walking on a flat surface. You can also set a treadmill to alternate between uphill and downhill walking, if you want to stick to the gym.

• Stair climbing. Again, this can be done almost anywhere. Climbing stairs burns off a lot of calories while remaining a safe low-impact exercise. Walk up and down the stairs of your house. When you get to the office, skip the elevator. Or, if you go to the gym, use the stair machine. This is the exercise you should move onto when you want to get a little more serious than simply walking.

• Interval training. If you set the treadmill at the gym to interval training, it will automatically change the speed of your walking at different times during your workout. By varying the speed of how you are walking, you'll build up your body without pushing it into risky territory like you would with running.

• The rowing machine. Most of us don't live in climates where we can row a boat on a lake 12 months a year. But, nearly all gyms have rowing machines. Rowing machines work both your upper and lower body while remaining as low-impact as possible. It burns even more calories than stair climbing, and is a great thing to start doing as you get more into working out.

• Swimming. You can't get more low-impact than swimming. In fact some people consider it a “no-impact” exercise. Swimming works all major muscle groups, is extremely safe, and fun - all at the same time!

• Step aerobics classes. This is a great way to have a low-impact effective workout while also being social. Taking a step class is a great way to meet new friends and have a professional guide you through your workout. It can also be really fun if you have a good trainer.

Those are the facts about low-impact workouts – along with suggestions for exercises you can incorporate into your workout program. All of them can have a huge impact on your quality of life, and all are extremely safe.

[Guest EXPAT]

My current situation requires that I only focus on low impact training. It does have a lot of huge health benefits and I will continue down this path mainly because it is my only choice at the moment but also because it does provide me with the calorie burning and activity that I need.