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Cardio is one of the most important parts of fitness, promoting better immunity, a healthier respiratory system, improved digestive health, and much more. Not to mention, it helps you keep off unwanted weight and makes you feel better overall. Still, many people believe the only cardio they should perform is high-intensity training such as sprints, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or other dynamic movements. That’s not entirely the case. In reality, even low-impact cardio workouts serve many of the same purposes as their high-impact alternatives. Read this guide on the benefits of low-impact cardio workouts to learn more.
As with any type of cardiovascular workout, low-impact cardio is efficient for burning body fat. There’s some debate as to whether high-intensity interval workouts or low-impact cardio burns more fat. HIIT requires less time but puts your body in an anaerobic state. Low-impact workouts, on the other hand, offer steady-state cardiovascular endurance for a longer set time. Regardless, either type of cardio will help you burn fat and lose weight. If you prefer to stay longer at the gym without pushing your body past its limits, low-impact cardio is the perfect option for you.
Cardiovascular exercise has many amazing benefits for the heart. Whether it’s low-intensity, low-impact, high-intensity, or high-impact, cardio strengthens your heart to prevent chronic illnesses. That means you don’t only need to perform uphill sprints to fight off heart disease. In fact, low-impact workouts still strengthen your heart to reduce various medical conditions. High-intensity cardio speeds up the process, but any cardio will reduce health risks such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Low-impact exercises are also great at relieving stress. Simply put, low-impact workouts cause less stress on your muscles and joints as well as lower cortisol levels to put you in a calmer state. Although exercise as a whole is highly effective at reducing feelings of anxiety and depression, too many high-impact workouts can raise cortisol levels and cause you physical and mental stress. Therefore, low-impact workouts help you achieve greater physical and mental health without adding stress on your body.
Low-impact workouts are also great for beginners just starting their fitness journeys. Many people start working out for a myriad of reasons; a common one is to boost their self-esteem. Still, working out can intimidate a lot of people who are unfamiliar with the protocols. Fortunately, low-impact workouts make fitness easier than high-impact training because it allows trainees to perform exercises based on their comfort and fitness levels. Lower-impact cardio workouts also release serotonin and dopamine, which are the feel-good hormones responsible for happiness and satisfaction.
Low-impact cardio workouts are great for making you feel better, and they’re also helpful for new gym-goers or fitness enthusiasts. Exercise intimidates many people. Some feel they’re too out of shape to properly perform the workouts. Others feel intimidated working out near others. Even in a home gym, putting yourself in a fitness mindset can seem daunting if you’re new to working out. Rather than jump headfirst into the deep end, start slow. Low-impact workouts are great beginner workouts to push you into an active mindset. Even professional athletes and advanced fitness folk often still prefer low-impact cardio because it’s easier on their bodies.
Feeling bloated or sluggish is one of the worst feelings in the world. It’s uncomfortable and, at times, almost painful. One of the benefits of low-impact cardio workouts is that they boost your metabolism, so you won’t feel full as often. Other factors, such as portion control and quality of food, play into this feeling, but your metabolism certainly has a major effect on your digestion. People who are active in fitness understand that feeding their bodies properly is one part of the journey. Your body needs constant nutrients, which is why multiple smaller meals throughout the day keeps it satiated. Still, if you’re new to this dietary method, consider implementing low-impact cardio workouts to help you keep the food down. This will not only make you feel less bloated but also increase your appetite so that you’re able to eat more later on.
Of course, there’s another reason why many athletes and non-athletes prefer low-impact cardio over high-impact cardio: the former is much safer on your joints! There’s a far lesser chance of injury with low-impact workouts due to less required mobility. High-impact workouts require a lot of physical exertion to correctly perform the exercise. If you have limited range of motion or you’re not as physically mobile to perform the workout, there’s a greater chance of injury in your joints, tissue, and muscles.
Additionally, high-intensity workouts allow less recovery time to get back to your training, even while often leaving you sore or in pain. Low-intensity exercises allow you to take fewer rest days and still see the same results.
You may not know that low-impact cardio further improves your balance and stability. Given that high-impact workouts require dynamic movements, they often doesn’t allow the body to stabilize. However, low-impact exercises ensure optimal movement throughout the performance to establish balance and stability. Doing so also fosters better alignment and mind-muscle connection. Every athlete understands the importance of mind-muscle connection because it connects the brain to the body.
When you’re learning new exercises, practicing proper form is important. Doing so leads to longer muscle memory, so when you perform the exercise later, your body is already accustomed to the movement.
One of the best low-impact cardio machines to add to your home gym is a recumbent elliptical trainer. Top Fitness Store has the best recumbent elliptical trainers for sale to kick-start your fitness journey. They provide an excellent form of aerobic exercise without risk of injury; you train in a seated position to use your legs as you would on a normal exercise bike. The seat reduces stress on the lower back, thereby saving you from unwanted aches and pains. They’re also excellent alternatives to other conventional cardio machines such as treadmills, standing ellipticals, and stair-climbers. Call now to find the right recumbent elliptical for you.
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