Low Impact Fitness
Using a low impact fitness routine is a very good option for anyone who has not exercised in a while. Low impact fitness workouts are good for individuals who are recovering from an injury and can be less strenuous on your joints.
One of the best low impact exercises for both men and women is walking. It doesn’t cost any money to get started and the only equipment you need is a good pair of walking shoes. Walking is gentle on your joints and can be done anywhere both indoors and outdoors. If you are just starting out it is recommended to walk 10 to 15 minutes in one direction and then turn around and walk home. As this becomes easy increase the length of your walk and try to increase your speed. This will help to rev up your metabolism and help you burn more fat. While walking take along a water bottle with you and sip on water at least once every 10 minutes.
Ensure to stretch your muscles before and after your walking routine as a warm up and cool down. Walking can be done alone, with your spouse or children or by forming a local walking group. By including other people this will help keep your motivation levels high. Older women and men aged 50 or older should be careful with their joints. Osteoporosis can become a major issue particularly affecting women as they age. Using a calcium supplement can be very helpful. Also when you are out walking listen to your body and heed the warning signs.
Other alternatives
Other great low impact fitness options include yoga, swimming and cycling. These can all be performed at a pace suitable to your fitness level. You donít have to worry about keeping up with the rest of the class. With cycling you can adjust the tension on your bike to match your energy level. You can always start out at a higher intensity level and lower the tension as the class progresses. You are still getting a great workout without having to cut the class short. If you need motivation with your low impact fitness routine then try buying a pedometer. This is a great way to track how many steps you take each day. Your goal should be to achieve around the 10,000 step mark. It may take time to get to this level but the fitness benefits are well worth the extra effort. Plus using a pedometer is fun and you can challenge friends or family members to see who can record the most steps each day.