High and Low Impact Activities for Everyone

High and Low Impact Activities for EveryoneStaying active is a key component of any healthy lifestyle. Whether you enjoy hiking, going to the gym or playing sports, keeping on your feet and moving around can help to prolong your life and make you feel better. It is also important to prevent injuries to your muscles, joints and ligaments and to maintain a proper level of strength and mobility. The best way to stay active is to alternate between high and low impact activities. This will add variety to your exercises and allow certain parts of your body to be worked out at different times. Consider some of the following exercises if you are looking for new ways to remain active.

High Impact Activities

High Impact activities are those that require both of your feet to come off the ground at the same time. They are high impact because once you leave the ground, gravity will force you back down, causing your feet to hit the ground with a considerable amount of force. These can be difficult for those with pre-existing injuries, and they can also lead to injury if you are not properly prepared or warmed up, but they also provide a great aerobic exercise that can help you build strength and burn calories. Some high impact workouts include:

  • Jogging
  • Sprinting
  • Jumping Jacks
  • Jumping Rope
  • Burpees
  • Jumping Lunges
  • Long Jumps

Benefits of High Impact Activities

High Impact activities provide certain benefits for your body, including:

  • Increased Heart Rate
  • Improved Bone Density levels
  • Better Balance and Stability
  • Stronger Cardiovascular System
  • Increased Stamina Levels

Low Impact Activities

Low impact activities are those that don’t require you to leave the ground. Your joints absorb far less impact in these workouts, making them great for people who already have injuries or are trying to build their strength to be able to more safely perform high impact exercises. You can still get an excellent workout with low impact activities, and they can be great supplemental exercises for any physical training regimen. Some low impact exercises include:

  • Swimming
  • Elliptical Machine
  • Walking
  • Bicycling
  • Stairmaster
  • Strength Training/Weight Lifting
  • Rowing
  • Yoga

Benefits of Low Impact Activities

Much like high impact exercises, low impact workouts have separate benefits of their own.

  • Great for beginners
  • Can help treat musculoskeletal disorders
  • Easy to Learn
  • Still provide excellent cardiovascular workout
  • Aids in weight and fat loss
  • Safe for pregnant women and elderly people

Combining High and Low Impact Activities

If you are healthy enough and aren’t suffering from injuries, you should stick to a plan that utilizes both high and low impact activities. You could weight train one day and then go for a jog the next day. This allows you to workout different muscle groups and to give your joints a rest when it is needed. Mixing and matching low and high intensity exercises also helps to keep your cardiovascular system in check. If you want to stay in shape, be sure to find the right mix of low and high impact activities.

To learn more about minimal impact exercises and how to properly take care of your joints, contact Cheuvront Clinic of Chiropractic & Sports today!