Looking for an effective low-impact HIIT workout that's easier on your joints? You're in the right place!
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been a rising trend in the fitness industry ... and for good reason!
In fact, HIIT is known to help improve body composition (1).
However, not everyone needs or wants high-impact exercises to get results. The good news is, HIIT training doesn't have to be high impact.
High-intensity, low-impact workouts can be just as effective for reaching your fitness goals.
Today, we’re going to talk about the ins and outs of low-impact HIIT workouts, so strap in and enjoy the ride.
What You'll Learn In This Article:
• What Low-Impact HIIT Workouts Are
• Benefits of Low-Impact HIIT Workouts
• Examples of Low Impact HIIT Exercises
• How to Perform These Exercises
• Sample Workout Programs
• Tips for Maximizing Your Results
What Are Low-Impact HIIT Workouts?
Low-impact HIIT workouts are an effective way to train hard while being gentle on your joints. Yes, they are a great way to get your workouts done in a short amount of time.
Yes, they are also a great way to get a lot out of your workouts in that short amount of time. But on top of all that, they're a great way to avoid putting stress on your body.
Typically, low-impact HIIT workouts avoid actions like jumping, bounding, and landing. For example, one HIIT exercise could be sprinting.
An example of a high-intensity low-impact workout could be cycling.
The biggest difference here is that sprinting can be much harder on your joints. The jarring movements, the impact on your ankles, knees, and hips, can be a little bit tough on your body over time.
Cycling, on the other hand, can be just as high-intensity, but easier on your body. You don't have to repeatedly pound the ground with your feet and can keep the heart rate just as high.
What makes a HIIT workout a HIIT workout has less to do with the exercise and more to do with the intensity. Any workout can be more intense by reducing rest periods, changing tempo, and much more.
Benefits of Low-Impact HIIT Workouts
There are seemingly endless benefits that can come with low-impact HIIT workouts. But for now, here are the three that stand out the most in my experience.
1. Less Stressful on Joints
2. Improved Muscle and Cardiovascular Health
3. Physiological Benefits
The best part about all of these is that you can still get a huge improvement in your fitness, health, and wellness ... all while getting these benefits!
1. Less Stressful on Joints
I think we can all think of a time when our joints were in pain. Whether it was after a hard workout or just standing up out of a chair after a long time sitting.
Well, when we put a lot of stress on our bodies, our joints can take the brunt of it a lot of the time.
In my opinion, one of the best parts about low-impact HIIT workouts, is that they can help you get in a good workout, but also help to keep your joints feeling better (2).
2. Improved Muscle and Cardiovascular Health
I think it's pretty well known that exercising can be good for your health. That can go for both the health of your muscles and the health of your cardiovascular system (3, 4).
Whether you are talking about high-impact or low-impact exercise, both can help in this way.
3. Physiological Benefits
Physiological benefits can include a variety of different things. This can include regulating your blood sugar levels, improving your blood pressure, moderating stress levels, and much more.
With low-impact HIIT workouts, these are benefits you can receive (5).
So, not only are you improving your physical health and the way that you look and feel ... but also improving the way that your body functions as a whole.
Examples of Low-Impact HIIT Exercises
When it comes to low-impact HIIT exercises, the list can go on and on. Here are just 10 of my personal favorites for you to try. Remember, HIIT training has more to do with the intensity than the exercise:
• Air Squats
• Lateral Lunges
• Banded Lateral Raises
• Push-Ups
• Banded Rows
• Banded Side Steps
• Planks
• Glute Bridges
• Yoga
• Low-Impact Cardiovascular Activities (Cycling, Swimming, etc)
For optimal results in your low-impact HIIT workout, I recommend each exercise to follow this timing format:
Work Interval: 30-45 Seconds
Rest Interval: 15-30 Seconds
Rounds: 3-4
Total Workout Time: 20-30 Minutes
Now, let's look at how to actually perform these exercises effectively.
Air Squats
1. Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Inhale and begin lowering your body to the ground, bending at your ankles, knees, and hips.
3. Lower down until your upper legs are at least parallel to the floor.
4. Pause at the bottom of your squat and exhale as you push through your legs to return to a stand.
5. Repeat this as many times as programmed or for a set amount of time.
Lateral Lunges
1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
2. Inhale and step back with your right leg, planting your right foot on the ground.
3. Lower your body down until both knees are at about 90 degrees.
4. Press through your left leg to raise yourself back up to the starting position.
5. Repeat as many times as programmed on each leg.
Banded Lateral Raises
1. Stand with your feet slightly closer than shoulder-width apart. Stand on top of a large band, holding each end in either hand at your side.
2. With your arms mostly straight (slight bend in your elbows), raise your arms out to either side of your body.
3. Once you form a T with your arms raised at shoulder height, hold for a second.
4. Slowly release both of your arms back to your sides.
5. Repeat as many times as programmed or for a set amount of time.
Push-Ups
1. Lay flat on your stomach with your hands placed right outside of your shoulders.
2. Engage your quads, glutes, and abs, and exhale as you press yourself up with your arms.
3. Pause at the top and slowly lower yourself back down until your chest is 5 inches or less off the ground.
4. Pause at the bottom.
5. Repeat as many times as programmed or for a set amount of time.
Banded Rows
1. Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Stand on top of a large band, holding each end in either hand at your side.
2. Hinge forward at your hips to bring your upper body near parallel with the floor. Keep your core braced and your back flat.
3. With each side of the band in hand, pull your elbows behind your body.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top and hold for a second.
5. Slowly release the band with your arms, straightening your arms back out under you.
6. Repeat for as many times as programmed or for a set number of reps.
Banded Side Steps
1. Place a thick band just above your knees and keep tension in the band through the entire movement.
2. With your knees slightly bent, step three times to the side. That is one rep.
3. When moving to the right, step right foot first, followed by your left foot.
4. Reset and step back to your left in the opposite fashion.
5. Repeat as many times as programmed or for a set amount of time.
Planks
1. Place your hand directly under your shoulders as you hold your body up with your hands and toes.
2. Keep your quads, glutes, and abs engaged throughout the entire movement.
3. Look at a single spot on the floor and keep a straight line from the tip of your head down to your heels.
4. Repeat for as long as programmed.
Glute Bridges
1. Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and feet planted flat on the floor.
2. Press your hips up through your heels while keeping your upper back and arms fixed to the floor.
3. Squeeze your muscles at the top of the movement and pause.
4. Slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
5. Repeat as many times as programmed or for a set amount of time.
Yoga
This one isn’t going to be step-by-step instructions. There are so many different yoga routines and poses that you can follow.
Yoga is a phenomenal way to help challenge your body. To make it a high-intensity low-impact HIIT workout, just make sure to quickly transition between poses. I'd recommend holding a pose for 45 seconds, then allowing yourself 15 seconds to transition to the next. Do this for a set amount of time.
Low-Impact Cardiovascular Activities
There are quite a few activities you can try for this! Some of my favorites include swimming, cycling, and stair climbing.
For this, you can alternate between intervals of maximum effort and intervals of rest or light effort. For example, 30 seconds minute of cycling fast followed by 1 minute of moderate cycling for recovery.
For swimming, you could swim a lap at a fast pace, rest for 15 seconds, then do it again.
As long as you repeat this for a set amount of time like 20-30 minutes, you can get a great workout in.
Sample Low-Impact HIIT Workouts
Beginner Low-Impact HIIT Workout
5 Minute Warm-Up
Circuit (Repeat 3 Times):
| Exercise | Work Period | Rest Period |
| Air Squats | 40 Seconds | 20 Seconds |
| Plank | 30 Seconds | 30 Seconds |
| Glute Bridges | 40 Seconds | 20 Seconds |
3 Minute Rest
Circuit 2 (Repeat 3 Times):
| Exercise | Work Period | Rest Period |
| Banded Side Steps | 40 Seconds | 20 Seconds |
| Push-Ups | 30 Seconds | 30 Seconds |
| Banded Rows | 40 Seconds | 20 Seconds |
5 Minute Cool-Down
Intermediate Low-Impact HIT Workout:
5 Minute Dynamic Warm-Up
Circuit (Repeat 4 Times):
| Exercise | Work Period | Rest Period |
| Banded Rows | 45 Seconds | 15 Seconds |
| Push-Ups | 40 Seconds | 20 Seconds |
| Lateral Lunges | 45 Seconds |
15 Seconds |
2 Minute Rest
Circuit 2 (Repeat 4 Times):
| Exercise | Work Period | Rest Period |
| Air Squats with Band | 45 Seconds | 15 Seconds |
| Plank with Shoulder Taps | 40 Seconds | 20 Seconds |
| Glute Bridge with Band |
45 Seconds |
15 Seconds |
5 Minute Cool-Down
Advanced Low-Impact HIT Workout:
5 Minute Dynamic Warm-Up
Circuit (Repeat 4 Times):
| Exercise | Work Period | Rest Period |
| Banded Rows | 45 Seconds | 15 Seconds |
| Push-Ups | 40 Seconds | 20 Seconds |
| Lateral Lunges |
45 Seconds |
15 Seconds |
| Kettlebell Swings | 45 Seconds | 15 Seconds |
| Sit-Ups | 45 Seconds | 15 Seconds |
2 Minute Rest
10 Minutes of Cycling
• 15 Seconds All-Out
• 45 Seconds Light to Moderate Pace
5 Minute Cool-Down
Getting The Most Out Of Your Low-Impact HIIT Workouts
Low-impact HIIT workouts alone are not going to be the cure-all to the results that you want to earn. However, they can be a way to help you earn your results!
This is true no matter what your reasons for working out are. Low-impact HIIT workouts can be helpful for building lean muscle, losing body fat, and anything in between.
Even so, your workout program is only one aspect of what it takes to earn great results. This is where we can help.
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References:
(1) Khodadadi, Fatemeh, et al. "The Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training Type on Body Fat Percentage, Fat and Fat-Free Mass: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials." Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol. 12, no. 6, 15 Mar. 2023, p. 2291.
(2) "Managing Arthritis Pain with Exercise." American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 28 Oct. 2022.
(3) Atakan, Muhammed Mustafa, et al. "Evidence-Based Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Exercise Capacity and Health: A Review with Historical Perspective." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 13, 5 Jul. 2021, p. 7201.
(4) Weston, Matthew, et al. "Effects of Low-Volume High-Intensity Interval Training (HIT) on Fitness in Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Controlled and Non-Controlled Trials." Sports Medicine, vol. 44, no. 7, 2014, pp. 1005-1017.
(5) Nicolò, Andrea, and Michele Girardi. "The Physiology of Interval Training: A New Target to HIIT." The Journal of Physiology, vol. 594, no. 24, 2016, pp. 7169-7170.
