If you’re new to exercise or recovering from an injury and don’t want to miss out on the benefits of movement then a low-impact workout could be for you. Even cardio and strength-boosting workouts can be done with no jumping or excessive pressure on the joints.
Personal trainer Sadielee Thomas recently shared a workout on Instagram that will get your heart rate up and strengthen all the muscles in your body.
It's a dumbbell routine, which means you can do it from home or a quiet corner of the gym and it will target a wide range of muscles across the legs, arms and core.
How to do Sadielee Thomas' low-impact workout
To complete this workout, do each exercise for 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest. Go through the routine four to five times in total, which should take between 16 and 20 minutes.
You'll need two dumbbells and you can use the same weight throughout the workout or choose different weights according to the move. If you do find one exercise particularly challenging or not challenging enough, don't be afraid to swap out for something lighter or heavier.
Hex dumbbells
You'll need hexagon-shaped dumbbells for this routine, for stability during the floor-based moves. Below are a few options from Amazon.
The benefits of low-impact workouts
Just because a workout is low-impact, that doesn't mean it won't challenge you. Working through the exercises in this routine should get your heart rate up, improving your cardiovascular health and boosting your metabolism.
On top of this, these dumbbell exercises will help you target specific areas of the body, including the glutes, core and the shoulders, so that you can build muscle over time.
Doing strength workouts has plenty of benefits, including better muscle tone and joint health. Plus, increasing your muscle mass will also boost your metabolism, which will improve your energy levels and aid weight loss.
Because there's no jumping in this routine, there will be no unnecessary strain on your joints. Great if you’re recovering from an injury or prone to age-related joint problems.
If you do this workout regularly you might be able to increase the weights you're using over time. This will ensure you're progressively overloading your training, which is one of the best ways to guarantee strength gains.
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