Losing weight and those stubborn fats require intense activities like running to boost your metabolism. But running can hurt your joints especially when you’ve been running mile after mile. This can be a problem for those who are already in their 40s and up. Is there any way to burn calories without hurting your joints too much?
The good news is that there are joint-friendly workouts out there that you can do in place those high impact workouts that can wreak havoc on your joints. If you are looking for fat blasting, calorie torching exercises, these may just be right up your alley.
- Cycling. There is no doubt that cycling is one of the best low impact workouts that you can do to burn calories while going easy on your joints. You might think that cycling does hardly anything to your muscles but you might be surprised that you can actually challenge your muscles depending on the amount of resistance that you are using. What’s great about indoor cycling is that you can do interval training where you go maximum speed for 30 seconds or so with moderate intensity for 10 seconds then back again.
- Power yoga. Another low impact workout that helps you burn up to 400 calories, power yoga is easy on the joints while efficient in getting that much needed burn. What’s great about this exercise is that you are exercising your entire body for a more even result without increasing your risk of suffering from injuries especially if you put your mind to what you are doing at the moment.
- Power walking. Yes, you read that right. There is something called power walking and it is actually good for your joints. Walking is one of the cheapest exercises that you can do because it is absolutely free with plenty of health benefits to boot. Walking can help lower your blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels not to mention improve the mineral density of your bones. The beauty of walking is that you can ramp up the intensity by walking briskly for an hour to burn up to 350 calories. You can also go up an incline slowly if you like or walk with a weighted vest to add resistance.
- Swimming. Of course, this exercise will certainly make the list as it is one of the best low impact workouts that can help you torch serious calories. The buoyancy of the water eases the pressure on your joints as you swim lap after lap. The best part is that your entire body is getting a thorough workout which is one of the reasons why many turn to swimming for their much needed weight loss workout. What’s more is that you are also developing your cardiorespiratory health with swimming which is another plus.
These are just a few examples of joint-friendly workouts that you should take into consideration the next time you are in serious need of fat burning routines.
