Low-impact, high-intensity interval training is great to go-hard workouts that stay soft on your joints. They are among the most effective techniques to increase aerobic fitness and burn calories.
As a certified fitness trainer, I've incorporated many low-impact HIIT workouts into my workout routine, and the results were tremendous.
I've also coached clients into achieving their fitness journey by tackling low-impact HIIT workouts.
In this article, I will detail my expertise on the best low-impact HIIT workouts and the benefits of these exercises.
Quick Summary
- The best low-impact HIIT workouts include the reverse lunge and press, uneven front squat and rotational press, jump-free burpees, butterfly squat, kicking plank, and low-impact jumping jacks.
- Low-impact activities are gentler on your body, especially your bones and joints, than high-intensity workouts.
- Low impact does not imply low intensity, and when done properly, it may provide all of the same advantages as HIIT and other training methods.
The Best Low-Impact HIIT Workouts
Reverse Lunge and Press
The reverse lunge works the quadriceps and gluteus maximus muscle mass (front of the thighs and buttocks).
Adding the single-hand shoulder press focuses on the shoulder muscles and the core strength.
"Pressing the dumbbell over (above the heart) is a sure-fire approach to increase your heart rate while strengthening your core, stability, and balance."
- Lindsey Bomgren, Certified Personal Trainer
How to perform:
- Begin with your feet hip-width apart. The dumbbells should be at shoulder height.
- Maintain a strong grip on your wrists while keeping them straight.
- Allow the weight to draw the wrists back. Maintain a straight line.
- Perform a solid reverse lunge back.
- You'll drive up, using momentum to propel the dumbbells higher.
- Maintain a firm core. After lowering the weights, we perform a Reverse Lunge with the opposite leg.
- Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. Timing is everything in this situation. Dumbbells drop as we reverse lunge; dumbbells rise as we drive up.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps switching sides.
Uneven Front Squat and Rotational Press
The front squat works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteus maximus (butt).
The rotating shoulder press, when added, focuses the shoulder muscles, obliques, and core.
How to perform:
- Stand with both feet hip-width apart, toes facing straight forward or slightly away from your body.
- Hold a single dumbbell in the left arm, palm towards your body, at your shoulder.
- Sit your hips back with the weight in your heels. Lower the hips till they are parallel to your knees. Keep the body weight on your heels and your chest up.
- Drive through your heels, stand tall, and thrust your hips forward. Rotate the hips to the right while simultaneously pressing the dumbbell with your left hand above towards the right (rotational push). The left foot should rotate in the path of the dumbbell.
- Return to your starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Jump Free Burpees
Burpees are well-known for being a full-body, high-energy, high-intensity workout - ideal for a HIIT program.
While they often incorporate leaping aspects that might tax the joints, they can be modified to fit within your low-impact exercise.
How to perform:
- Stand tall with both feet hip-width apart and your arms stretched high.
- Lower into a squat by pressing your hips back and bending your knees.
- Place your hands on the ground and swiftly return to a plank posture. Descend into a push-up right away.
- Return to standing by pressing up, walking your feet back into a squat, and stretching your arms overhead to get back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Butterfly Squat
How to perform:
- Stand with both feet slightly wider than hip-width apart; arms outstretched in front of your chest, left palm on the top right, and lower into a squat position.
- Lower your arms to your hips in preparation for a rapid stand-up, raising your arms overhead and pushing your heels off the floor.
- Return to your starting position immediately.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Kicking Plank
How to perform:
- Begin in a table-top posture with your hands stacked squarely under your shoulders and your knees bent and placed directly under your hips.
- Step back one leg at a time to form a high plank position with palms and feet hip-width apart.
- Kick your left foot to the right while your right-hand reaches for your left leg and your torso turns to the left, pivoting on your right foot.
- Return to the beginning posture (rotate back to the high plank position).
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Low Impact Jumping Jacks
How to perform:
- Begin standing with your hands at your sides, much like a typical jumping jack.
- Instead of a traditional jumping jack, remove the leap out and alternate one side at a time.
- Bend your left knee slightly and move out to the side with your right leg, swinging your right hand above shoulder height.
- Step back in and do the same on the other side. This should be a quick action, with your arms and legs retaining strength and force as you go.
What Is a Low-Impact HIIT Workout?
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a training style that consists of periods of maximal effort accompanied by periods of reduced intensity or complete rest.
HIIT training may be applied to your favorite type of exercise in various ways, including running, swimming, rowing, elliptical, functional training, and more.
The low-impact HIIT workout (High-Intensity Low Impact Training or HILIT) follows the same framework as traditional HIIT workouts but emphasizes lower-impact activities.
Many HIIT exercises include high-impact burpees, squat jumps, or jumping jacks, ideal for boosting your heart rate and expending large amounts of energy.
Low-impact HIIT exercises typically skip high-impact activities or provide gentler joint alternatives.
While HIIT running, for example, is a great approach to building strength, stamina, and endurance, it may tax the joints. Instead of running, consider utilizing an elliptical, stationary bike, or rowing.
"If you enjoy running and are unwilling to give it up, running on a treadmill is a lower-impact alternative to running outside."
- Cori Ritchey, National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer
The Benefits
HIIT training has several benefits, but it is frequently preferred as a short, convenient alternative to exercise, with research suggesting that 15-20 minutes of HIIT training may have the same (if not greater) effect on endurance and fitness as 45 minutes of traditional cardio.
Low-impact HIIT exercises raise your heart rate, burn calories, and increase cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength while putting less strain on your joints.
Low Impact HIIT Workout Encourages Fat Loss
One study included 13 separate research including 424 overweight and obese people.
It discovered that low-impact HIIT and regular moderate-intensity exercise can help people lose weight and waist circumference [1].
HIIT Workout Articles:
Low Impact HIIT Workout Keeps Your Metabolic Rate Higher For Hours
According to several studies, HIIT raises metabolism for hours after training, even more than running and weight lifting [2].
This is excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC, also known as afterburn), a substantially higher oxygen intake rate following intense exercise [3].
Low Impact HIIT Workout Improves General Health
HIIT is more than simply a method for losing weight. It can also benefit your overall health. A review of 50 independent research discovered that HIIT lowers blood sugar levels [4].
Further study indicates it can lower blood pressure and resting heart rate in overweight and obese people [5].
FAQs
Can a HIIT Workout Be Low Impact?
Yes, HIIT workouts can be low-impact. Low impact indicates that there is little or no impact on the joint. These motions put no strain or stress on the bones and joints.
Are Low-Impact HIIT Workouts Good for Weight Loss?
Yes, low-impact HIIT workouts are good for weight loss. Certain exercises can be startling to the body, particularly on weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips.
What Type of HIIT Is Most Effective?
The most effective type of HIIT is the full-body HIIT workout. This interval exercise is more efficient than a long cardio session in shedding weight and developing muscles.
Supplementing Your Low-Impact HIIT Workouts
Low-impact HIIT exercises are a fantastic alternative for people looking for a difficult workout that doesn't put too much stress on their joints.
These activities have various advantages, including enhanced cardiovascular health, muscular strengthening, flexibility, and fat loss.
Low-impact HIIT exercises will help you accomplish your fitness objectives, whether you are a novice or an experienced athlete.
Consider incorporating low-impact HIIT workouts and strongest pre-workout supplements into your training routine.
The supplements proved effective upon testing. They increased our energy, focus, endurance, and pump required to complete the workouts.
References:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401638/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27747847/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14599232/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26481101/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27797726/
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