The Best Low-Intensity Cardio Exercise for Beginners

Walking - Okay, walking isn’t usually that exciting of an exercise. You already know how to walk – if you really want to get in shape, you’ll want to jump into running, right? Not necessarily. Regular, brisk walks help provide a number of health benefits, including weight loss, better cardiovascular health, strong bones and muscles, and preventing or treating a number of conditions and disabilities. Walking is even a mood lifter. Plus, there are so many opportunities for us to increase our walking activity. You can take your dog for a walk, walk to the nearby store instead of driving, or go for a stroll when the weather is nice. All that activity adds up to a healthier you, and walking puts less strain and damage on your joints than running, making it easy to recover.

 

Swimming - Swimming for distance or time at a low or moderate speed provides enormous health benefits and burns calories at a rapid rate. If swimming for long periods is too intense, you can always scale down to treading water, water aerobics, or swimming short laps with breaks in between. Swimming is especially ideal for people coming with an injury or joint pain. That’s because the water supports your weight, minimizing the impact that may be sustained during exercises on land.

 

Elliptical - If you have access to a gym, an elliptical machine is an excellent tool for getting back into exercise. It allows you to emulate the motions of running while eliminating the impact on your joints associated with running. The exercise extends movements to your entire body, and studies have shown that people are performing more intensely than they actually perceive when on an elliptical machine. You can even adjust your stride – moving in a “backward” run rather than forward – to work out different muscles.

 

Conclusion - All of these exercises are accessible to people of all fitness levels, so there’s no barrier to entry if you are just starting an exercise program (okay, you will need to know how to swim to hop in the deep end of a pool). In addition, they all provide minimal impact to your joints, so whether you’re trying to prevent joint pain or manage joint pain, you’ll be covered. Finally, all of these exercises are scalable – by intensity, time, or distance – so you can increase the workout to fit your needs and to make more progress over time. One crucial thing to remember when getting back into exercise is that recovery is very important. Stretching before or after workouts will help you recover, and deep REM sleep is when our muscles repair themselves. A good cervical pillow can help you reach a blissful state of sleep that lets your body recover from all the work you’ve been putting in. Whatever your fitness goals are, getting started with exercise is a commendable activity and your body will thank you!