You don’t have to follow a structured fitness regimen that includes maintaining a target heart rate range during workouts, performing specific exercises, creating a program with a personal trainer or following a specific schedule to improve your fitness.
Any activity that raises your heart rate, uses your muscles and includes some resistance can help you boost your fitness levels.
Whether you’re a beginner who wants to lose weight, a senior who wants to improve your bone density and flexibility or just someone who wants to maintain your heart, lung and muscle health, you can create simple workouts using a variety of activities at different levels of intensity.
Non-Impact Exercise
Non-impact exercise keeps both feet on the ground, pedals or other surface the entire time you’re exercising. Non-impact exercise options include:
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Rowing
- Elliptical
- Cross-country skiing
- Water aerobics
- Gliding
- Resistance bands
- Dumbbells
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Home gym
- Stretching
Low-Impact Exercise
Low-impact exercise keeps at least one foot on a surface the entire time you’re exercising. Low-impact exercise options include:
- Walking
- Hiking
- Step Aerobics
- Skating
- Walking stairs
High-Impact Exercise
High-impact exercise occurs when both feet leave the ground at the same time. This causes your body’s weight to land on your feet, causing more impact on your knees, back and joints. High-impact activities include:
- Many aerobic workouts
- Jogging
- Running
- Sports (e.g., tennis, basketball, volleyball)
- Jump rope
- Jumping jacks
- Running stairs