It can be tough to keep up with your New Year’s resolutions to exercise more. It’s easy to say that you want to get healthier, but maintaining the motivation to do so can be hard.
One of the best ways to ensure you workout more is to create a routine. This means you know what exercises you need to do on different days, as well as when your rest days are.
A routine also allows you to build up your stamina, which means you can increase the intensity of your workouts over time. This will yield better results and make it easier to stick to your routine.
To help you start out on creating your exercise routine, here are some effective low-impact exercises that you can build on over time:
Swimming
Heading to the pool is a great way to ease yourself into regular exercise. Swimming is an effective workout that you can easily fit into your daily routine.
Water ensures a low-impact environment, so exercising is easier on your joints while the extra resistance delivers strength and cardio benefits.
Starting with a few laps will improve your stamina, which means you can increase how fast you swim and how many laps you do over time. You can also try out exercises like aqua Zumba, which are fun, high-energy and effective.
Yoga
If you want to stay dry but still get an effective and low-impact workout, yoga could be the perfect option.
Yoga helps to stretch out your muscles, improve tone, definition and strength. It is also a form of meditation so you’re likely to feel incredibly relaxed after a session.
Concentrating on the workout and your breathing will yield better results. It will also prepare you for more intense sessions, as well as help you to move onto things like pilates, which provide a harder workout.
Power walking
You don’t have to jump straight into running to get fit. Power walking is a low-impact exercise that is still effective, especially as it can lower blood pressure.
Opting to walk rather than drive is the perfect way to exercise more and you can build up the intensity of your walking so that you eventually start running. This will help you get better results over time and reduce your risk of injury.
Another plus is that you can use a treadmill in bad weather, so you never need to skip out on your daily walk.
Rowing
For those who want to make the most of their gym equipment, rowing is a great choice. Rowing machines offer a full body workout that can burn 600 calories per hour and improve muscle strength.
You should start out rowing slowly and with a low amount of resistance. You can then build up resistance and speed over time to enjoy a more rigorous form of exercise.
Cycling
Another great low-impact exercise that can help you build up stamina and that can be easily added to your routine is cycling. Whether you actually get your bike out or head to the gym, cycling with the right amount of resistance avoids pressure on your joints and provides a great workout.
Start with low resistance and a low speed before building up both over time. Just be sure you don’t increase the resistance too quickly or you can risk hurting your knees. It is best to take it slowly and then your routine won’t get disrupted by injury.
Whichever form – or forms – of low-impact exercise you choose, Foresters Go can help you monitor and track your progress. You can keep an eye on your goals using the app’s unique Health Score.
