Most workout routines are geared toward the young and healthy. Overweight people are meant to go through the vast number of expedients directed toward them, almost all of which are ineffective or unhealthy. Unfortunately, nothing is as effective as a healthy diet in conjunction with exercise. This article is a guide for novices. Therefore, the information provided in it won’t elaborate on what a workout junky already knows. With that having been said, let’s get into the best low impact workout routine for beginners.
Some of the best low impact workout routines for beginners don’t have to be created in a vacuum. Just work off of the moves you’re already familiar with. For example, modify jumping jacks by eliminating the jumps. Just step one toe out at a time while raising your arms in a typical jumping jack motion. Another example would be to move one leg at a time during mountain climbers. Not all people can hold their own weight though, and that’s fine. Building strength is still possible. Up and down planks, pushups, and other variations of pushups are perfect for those of you who are overweight or are suffering from a lower body injury.
Like many machines at the gym, the elliptical adjusts to your skill level. If you have a gym membership, the elliptical is a great addition to the best low impact workout routine. Raising the resistance is still necessary though. Feeling productive doesn’t conduce to all the benefits that exercise can bring. I see many beginners fall casualty to the tendency to adjust the machine to the lowest resistance and ease through the workout. Don’t do this! Challenge yourself. On the other hand, make sure the resistance is manageable. Your legs shouldn’t buckle inward or outward when you’re on the elliptical.
If you’re not a member of a gym though, swimming provides plenty of resistance for the beginner. One of the best low impact workout routines for a beginner can consist solely of swimming exercises. But in this list, I’ll only suggest it as part of your weekly exercise schedule. You can do jumping jacks, boxing, yoga, or just run some laps. Swimming can raise cardiovascular endurance just as effectively as running without the impact. You can even purchase water dumbbells to give your workout more variety.
The following moves are tailored for building strength, though this doesn’t mean that they have no cardiovascular benefit as long as you’re challenging yourself. Secondly, all of these exercises can be done with dumbbells and some of them exclusively with dumbbells. Since I presume all of you are beginners, try to avoid using dumbbells above twenty pounds. A squat is easy to modify and is a great lower body move to incorporate into the best low impact workout for beginners. If your knees are buckling inward or outward, you’re dropping too far down. Only go down as far as you can control. Your knees shouldn’t be over your toes, and they should be in line with your feet. As is the case with most of these exercises, keep your back flat. Also, this move can be done with or without weights.
This move is a must for the best low impact workout routine for beginners. As the name suggests, this workout is one of the best low impact exercises for building your triceps. Keeping your back flat is tremendously important. Don’t strain yourself to bend parallel to the ground, or arch your back. There should be a slight bend in your knees, and your feet should be hip width apart. If you’re at all familiar with proper deadlift form, this move is very akin to a deadlift.
If you haven’t noticed already, I’m dividing the strength moves out based on the muscle groups they work. Lateral raises work your shoulders, and they’ll be a challenging addition to the best workout routine for beginners. Don’t lift up above your shoulders. Your arms should be parallel to the ground at their highest. Additionally, I’m sure you’re tired of hearing this by now, but keep your back flat.
Astonishingly, bicep curls work the biceps. They can be a bit painful, but that’s exactly what you want. Keep your elbows pinned close to your sides. Your arms should remain behind your rib cage. Make sure to extend fully on the way down, as that’s what really tears the muscles. In addition, as if this isn’t a given, keep your back flat.
There’s a way to make one of the hardest cardio exercises a part of the best workout routine for beginners. Yes, I’m aware that this move is categorized as a high impact modification, but many beginners aren’t familiar with burpees. Unfortunately for some, this exercise will still require you to hold your own weight while keeping a straight body. Cut the jumps out, but raise your hands to the sky. When you’re in pushup position, feel free to take the move one step further by doing a full pushup. If you can’t, that’s perfectly acceptable. Just make sure you’re sweating.
This move is an integral part of the best low impact workout routine for beginners, because it’s one of the few that works the glutes. The lower back should be in contact with the ground to begin. Lift your body gradually until you’re making a ninety-degree triangle with the ground. Pay close attention to your glutes throughout. Squeeze them tightly as you move upward. Similar to squats, you can do these with or without weights. If you are using weights, I would advise using one. Using two requires you to rest both on your hips, which can be quite uncomfortable.
For my last piece of advice, I have to stray away from specificity. I can’t enumerate all the great yoga moves you can utilize. Simply because there are too many to list. But I can list some wonderful benefits. Yoga can prevent injury, increase flexibility, and occasionally tone the body. It has also been known to mitigate pain, anxiety, and even depression (Link). Having a set yoga routine is a great way to end every workout.
Link, Rachael. “13 Benefits of Yoga That Are Supported by Science.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 30 Aug. 2017, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga#section1. Accessed 9 Sept. 2019.
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