Anyone can participate in and enjoy low-impact exercises, but they’re especially beneficial for older adults who often struggle with joint issues or stability. But there’s a common misconception that low-impact exercise doesn’t do much — that simply isn’t true. Here are the top six benefits of low-impact exercises.
Low-impact exercises can help prevent and manage stress to your joints. If you’re already struggling with joint problems, or have a family history of them, low-impact exercises will help you fight stiffness without inflaming them like high-impact activities may do.
Low-impact activities are easier on your joints, and can slow down or prevent the development of joint problems such as arthritis. In turn, this will improve your mobility in the long run.
Low impact doesn’t necessarily mean easy. In fact, low-impact exercises promote good cardiovascular health. Both swimming and cycling are considered low-impact exercises, but they’ll get your heart rate just as high as something like running. Of course, not all low-impact exercises will get your heart rate up, but there are still many options that will keep your cardiovascular health in tip-top shape.
The good news is, like high-impact exercises, low-impact exercises can also help with weight management. A healthy weight leads to all sorts of benefits, including reducing your chances of certain kinds of cancers, preventing type 2 diabetes, reducing high blood pressure, easing pressure on your joints and much more.
Many low-impact workouts, such as strength training and yoga, focus on building your muscles, increasing balance and stability and improving flexibility. As an added bonus, building these skills will help you keep steady on your feet and lower your risk of falls — and help you recover quickly if you do take a tumble!
Exercise is also good for your mental health. Physical activity releases endorphins that make you feel good. On the other hand, participating in group classes like yoga or water aerobics, helps you build social connections which can also boost your mood.
IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.