The Calories Burned With 55 Minutes of Low-Impact Aerobics

If you're overweight or obese or have dealt with joint problems in the past, high-impact aerobic exercises aren't for you. Instead, focus on low-impact aerobics to help you burn calories without putting your knees at risk. Low-impact aerobics take many forms and burn calories at varying rates, while also providing a wealth of other benefits.

  1. Low-Impact Aerobics

    • Many gyms and athletic centers offer a variety of aerobics classes with varying impacts. Choosing a low-impact class is a healthy choice if you're concerned about damaging your joints, although this style of aerobics won't burn calories quite as quickly as a high-impact class. At many gyms, 55-minute classes are common. In such a class, a 155-pound person will burn 392 calories performing low-impact aerobics. Comparatively, the same person will burn 452 calories in a 55-minute high-impact aerobics class.

    Land Exercises

    • Several types of aerobic exercise fall under the header of low-impact aerobics. Walking and cycling are two common low-impact aerobic exercises that are often ideal for people who are overweight or who experience joint pain during high-impact workouts. The speed at which you walk or bicycle plays an integral role in determining the number of calories you burn. A 155-pound person will burn 332 calories during a 55-minute walk at 4 mph and 682 during a bike ride of the same length at a speed between 14 and 16 mph.

    Water Exercises

    • Water provides an ideal venue for low-impact aerobic exercises. In a swimming pool, you can burn calories quickly without experiencing joint pain, thanks for the buoyancy the water provides. In 55 minutes, a 155-pound person will burn 256 calories performing water aerobics. Although the calories you'll burn while swimming depend largely on the stroke you choose, a 155-pound person will burn 631 calories during 55 minutes of general swimming at a vigorous pace. Harvard Medical School notes notes the butterfly and front crawl burn calories the fastest of any swimming strokes.

    Low-Impact Aerobics Benefits

    • Don't confuse low impact with low results. Low-impact aerobics are not only an effective way to burn calories without damaging your body but can also help you improve your cardiovascular fitness, strengthen your bones and muscles and boost your immune system. The endorphins you release during aerobic exercise can quickly elevate your mood, which makes exercise a side-effect-free solution to depression, anxiety and stress.