Getting active and staying consistent with your exercise regime is a goal many aspire to do, but often is easier said than done, especially if you’re someone who struggles with joint or muscle pain, arthritis, a previous injury, or weight problems that leave you sore and in pain after finishing your activity for the day, which isn’t encouraging for you to stay on track, so in these cases, you require something that’s easier on your body, helping you to get the workout you want, without the pain from straining yourself.
Before we get into the main topic of low impact exercise equipment, first we must cover what impact is.
Now, what exactly is “impact”?
Impact is the force put on your body and joints during exercise, especially at the point which your body meets the ground, such as during walking, running, jumping, or lifting.
Low impact exercises include yoga, swimming, cycling, or dancing. These activities and other related ones are considered as such because they do not involve the body making a hard impact on the ground or excess pressure on the joints during them.
These sorts of motions, activities, and exercises are what you’re looking for when trying to select a lower impact and less strenuous workout for your body.
Examples of high impact exercises and motions include gymnastics, skiing, jumping jacks, and jumping rope, among many others. Basically anything strenuous and likely fast-paced is probably a high impact exercise, which, considering your reading this article, you wish to avoid.
So with that knowledge, what are examples of the best low impact exercise equipment?
The Treadmill
A trustworthy and familiar piece of exercise equipment, the treadmill is one of the most well known and widely available types of low impact equipment.
The reason is that it puts very little strain on your joints to use because it’s a similar motion to a casual walk or step, so your legs are not meeting the ground in a rough or overbearing way.
One of the major benefits of using a treadmill is the option to control the speed and move at your own pace, as many have settings and controls which range from a slow walk to a brisk run, enabling you to work your way up if you so please, which adds a lot of reuse value and versatility if you choose to purchase one.
Another benefit to treadmills is they enable you to build more leg strength while using them, so with time, you can take advantage of those higher settings and different control options, letting you get your money’s worth! In time, you will be able to take on a larger variety of lower impact activities, while feeling less and less sore over the course of consistent use.
There can be some risks and drawbacks, however, as with any form of exercise equipment. One of the major cons can commonly be seen in many humorous internet videos, like when the speed setting is too high on the user’s treadmill, and they come flying off.
But injuries related to improper equipment use is no laughing matter, even if low impact.
To be safe, it’s best to start slow and gradually with your new machine, including a warm-up at the start and a cooldown at the end, as should be done with any exercise-related activity, as it gives your body a chance to prepare for the entire workout and recover at the end.
Firm and properly fitting footwear, especially with a soft gel insert, can also help lessen strain when using the higher settings which have you jogging or running on the machine.
As always, the best practice is to avoid overexertion, and if something feels painful or as if it’s too much, better to recoup and slow down than to injure yourself by straining your joints or giving yourself a painful stress fracture.
There is another similar machine with its own pros and cons, which is even lower impact, which brings me to the next one.
Costs:
Around 700 to 1000 dollars, however, folding treadmills are cheaper, smaller, and less heavy, but can be less stable, just depends on your individual desires, needs, and preferences.
Pros:
- Common and easy to find for sale and in stock
- Been around for a long time, so many new options available and tailored to your specific needs and requests
- A good alternative to outdoor running, as it keeps you out of the elements
- Minimal joint strain and injury risk
- Incline, speed, and other settings enable switching up the routine and creating variety in exercise sessions
Cons:
- Some muscles get left out of being worked, such as the hamstrings and glutes
- Less beneficial in gaining balance and stability in comparison to running, which has hills, varying terrain and other obstacles which encourage increased mobility
- Can be generally repetitive with little room for major variation
The Elliptical
If your health issues or chronic pain are more bothersome than what can be worked with on a treadmill than the elliptical is likely a better fit for you. It’s lower impact and less strenuous way of use enables you to get a proper, fuller workout, but with less risk of stress fractures or aggravating the existing injuries, strain, and pain on your joints and body.
And unlike a treadmill, an elliptical lets you work on more muscles in your body, such as the shoulders and back when holding the handles, and your lower body, such as your hips, legs, and glutes when engaging with the lower portion of the machine.
You can also move backward while using it, going in the opposite motion, which aids in strengthing your calf muscles and offers a variation to lessen the general monotony of doing the same thing over.
The main con is that not everyone may be comfortable or have the balance required to use an elliptical, as the machine feels unsteady and shaky when you first begin using it, feeling as though it might fall out from under you, so it takes getting used to the entire process, but if you stick with it, the benefits are definitely there, and it becomes actually very comfortable and almost relaxing to use, from my experience.
However, there are easier and more comfortable forms of low impact exercise machines which have less of a difficult time getting used to and have a more familiar feel to them.
Costs:
Typically around 900 to 1000 dollars, can be more or less depending on added features and traits.
Pros:
- A very effective calorie burner
- Minimal strain on joints
- Strengthens, tones and builds muscle on both upper and lower body
- Works and targets most major muscle groups, resulting in an effective full body workout
- Preset programs and a wide variety of options and settings allow for a change of routine and makes workouts less dull and repetitive
- Great cardiovascular workout
Cons:
- Can be very costly
- Not as good at building muscle than weight training
- Often inaccurate calorie display burner, making one overestimate the intensity of their workout
- Not a very effective tool for high-intensity workouts
- Somewhat limited range of motion
The Exercise Bike
Exercise bikes, particularly, the recumbent bike, is very easy to use and does not offer much in the way of strain on one’s body, given you are sat in a reclining position while using it.
Anyone who has ridden a bike before definitely will find this machine no struggle to use, as it’s similar to riding a bike but easier.
You even have the leisure of watching television while using it because you are able to recline and focus on your lower body, which may help you get in the zone easier, making your workout feel like it went by faster and didn’t take as long.
Many also have the option to vary your speed and the resistance, so you can tailor your workout best to what your body is capable of handling, and what feels most comfortable while having less risk of injury or the learning curve required to get situated and comfortable with the elliptical.
In general, they’re a great piece of equipment for those with joint issues, recovering from surgery, or just starting out on their exercise regime, as their only main cons are being moderately pricy and taking up quite a bit of floor space, but if you have the room for it, and the funds, the recumbent exercise bike might be the right fit for you.
Costs:
A wide range, anywhere between 250 to 2300 dollars, depending on features and type.
Pros:
- Full back support
- Comfortable position to sit in
- Low joint strain
- Works various muscle groups at once
- Provides an effective cardio workout
- Indoor use keeps you out of the elements
- Can be used for varying intensity in workouts
Cons:
- Can be exhausting and tiring to use
- Are somewhat costly, especially in regards to typical exercise bikes
- Can take up a lot of floor space
The Stepper Machine
Stepper machines are designed to emulate the motion of walking upstairs and steps, which, while exhausting, is still a good form of low impact exercise machine to use.
(Stair climbing is considered one of the best exercises to burn fat and energy, and trains muscles you ordinarily don’t use, hence that winded feeling you can get while walking up a flight of stairs.)
Similar to both a treadmill and elliptical, the stepper has you workout by walking in place on the machine, except in a stepping motion on the pedals by raising one foot on each over and over, up and down.
As with the rest of the equipment on this list, the stepper is a very low impact machine, great for those with joint pain or other health-related issues that make strenuous exercise or just working out very painful and leave them with uncomfortable soreness afterward.
A major benefit is that they take up very little floor space, so almost anyone can find an area to squeeze one in any of the rooms of their house, which is often an issue with gym and exercise equipment due to their sheer size and weight. They also tend to be fairly inexpensive, thus making them more affordable than the other machines in this list.
They share a similar con to the elliptical though, in that they too have a bit of a learning curve to use and require a better sense of balance than some other machines might.
Some may also argue you can get the same benefits of a stepper by just taking stairs around your house or local area when going for a brisk walk, but the advantage is that the stepper is portable, so you aren’t out in the weather or disturbing others, and similar to the exercise bike, you can do other things while using it, such as watching television.
Costs:
Anywhere from 40 to 400 dollars, depending on the variety and type, more features equals higher costs.
Pros:
- Takes up minimal space
- Easy storage
- Effective lower body workout
- Low strain on joints and body
- Can multitask when using
- Generally affordable
- Portable
Cons:
- Works out and engages only the lower body
- Can be awkward to use, especially for beginners
- Very limited range of motion, not much variety
- Cumbersome during extended workouts
Overall, these are just a few examples of the best low impact exercise equipment, which puts less strain on your joints, are easy to use, and can even be done while multitasking. Some may have the misconception that low impact means a less effective or viable type of exercise than others, but that isn’t true, and for many people, is actually better and a more preferable form of exercise for them.
As always, talk with your doctor first on what forms of exercise, equipment, and pace might be best for you, and hopefully, this article has given you some ideas of what to discuss and options to consider when speaking with a medical professional and making your choice on your next equipment purchase.
