Best low impact fat burning exercises
Low impact exercise
When it comes to exercising for weight loss, a common train of thought is the more rigorous the exercise, the more weight you will lose. While it’s true more intense workouts will burn more calories, if you have no experience with intense workouts then you will probably end up burning yourself out, leading to no activity at all. The saying ‘no pain, no gain’ is not necessarily true! High five to that!
Shrewd gym bunnies and those with active lifestyles are often swamped with targeted media geared towards intense workouts that promise huge outcomes. Regardless of your personal goal, low impact and moderate workouts have a part to play, too.
Research from the University of Bath states “gentler exercise is just as good in helping people get healthier while losing weight as a tougher workout” the new research was conducted by scientists from the University’s Department for Health, they stated that this was the case – “providing the number of calories burned overall is the same.”
What is low impact exercise?
Low impact exercise is essentially any movement that is gentle on the joints, activities such as walking, using an elliptical, practicing yoga. Low impact exercise is a very effective way of burning fat without having to make drastic lifestyle changes. We understand that the gym is not for everyone, and neither are high impact activities.
Easier exercise, otherwise known as LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) raises your heart rate but not enough to have you sweating and panting. During this kind of exercise, it should be easy enough to be able to hold a conversation without being out of breath. You can read more about LISS here.
Fat burning exercise can fall under the category of LISS, but it will take a little longer to get you there. Depending on your age, gender, and BMI, your ‘fat burn zone’ will be different, a smart watch that monitors your heart rate would be handy to have. Some smart watches will let you know when you have reached your ‘fat burn zone’, to stay in it you will need to keep your heart rate at that level for 30-60 minutes. Click here to learn more about the fat burn zone!
Benefits of low impact exercise
Your heart rate will rise, which leads to burning calories more quickly, just like any workout, it will benefit your heart, remember, the heart is technically a muscle! It will encourage oxygen supply to your cells, which helps our cells break down food to get our source of energy. There is little risk of injury when it comes to low impact exercise, it is much easier to transition to light activity if you live a relatively sedentary life as well. More of this exercise can be performed because it isn’t as time consuming, and you do not necessarily need to leave the house! It will reduce your stress levels and since it’s simple you’re more likely to stick to it! It can also be a very social thing, when you are doing a high impact exercise you will most likely be too puffed to hold a conversation, whereas walking allows for conversation the entire time!
Why choose low impact exercises?
It’s a time saver, it’s easy on your joints, muscles & bones and it can be done from the comfort of your own home. Low impact exercises support your heart health. It minimises the risk of aches and discomfort that stems from rigorous activity. It’s also a very safe way to manage your weight. Low impact exercises are becoming increasingly popular, especially yoga and stretching. Yoga and stretching helps with flexibility, so it helps to loosen up the muscles. Stretching in general can help to tone your body and just like any other exercise it fights stress!
The main reason people choose low impact exercise is because of the convenience, it’s certainly not as daunting as going to the gym!
What are the best fat burning exercises?
The best low impact exercises for fat burning are swimming, brisk walking, and cycling. The buoyancy of water reduces the stress on your body because it helps to support your weight, it’s also a full body workout, swimming incorporates cardio, strength and flexibility. Brisk walking is simple and effective, focus on your stride and aim to walk faster than you usually would. Cycling doesn’t have to be on a bike, it can be on an elliptical machine like these!
Fat burning exercise isn’t as hard as it sounds. One of the best ways to burn fat without changing your lifestyle would be to walk briskly and frequently. Take the stairs instead of the lift, take the long way to the bus stop or get off a stop earlier to allow for more steps! Walk everywhere like you are running late for a job interview, you’ll definitely burn extra calories.
