How to Lose Weight With Low Impact Exercise

To successfully lose weight you must perform 150 to 300 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week, recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But there's no rule that says the aerobic exercises you do must be high-impact, such as running or jumping exercises that place a lot of pressure on the bones and joints. You can meet your weight-loss goal with a fitness plan that includes low-impact aerobic exercise and the addition of strength training to boost metabolism and tone muscles.

Instructions

    • 1

      Precede your low-impact workout with a five- to 10-minute warm-up to loosen your muscles and joints, and prepare your body for more exertion. An easy, 10-minute walk or bike ride can help you get the blood and oxygen flowing through your body before you move on to your main exercise.

    • 2

      Aim for at least 15-minute segments of low-impact exercise such as water walking, walking outdoors, ballet or using an elliptical. If 15 minutes of cardio exercise per day is a challenge, work toward building up to 60 minutes per day of low-impact exercise. Burn 250 calories with an hour of walking, 360 with an hour of ballet, 400 with an hour of water walking, and between 500 and 600 calories per hour on an elliptical machine.

    • 3

      Burn 250 to 500 calories per day to lose 1/2 to 1 pound per week toward your total weight-loss goal. A slow, steady loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week with low-impact exercise will help you keep the weight off for the long-run.

    • 4

      Pump your arms to get your heart rate going and increase the intensity of your workout without increasing the impact. Light-intensity exercise allows you to continue talking normally and even sing, while moderate-intensity exercise makes it impossible to sing even though you can talk. With high-intensity exercise it's only possible to utter a few words before you need a breath.

    • 5

      Alternate between your regular-paced, low-impact exercise and bursts of higher-intensity exercise to increase your calorie burn. For example, walk at your normal pace for four minutes, and then pick up the pace and walk faster for 30 to 60 seconds to maintain a low impact while boosting your calorie burn.

    • 6

      Cool down after each workout, even if it was a low-impact exercise. Finish the way you started with a slow, five- to 10-minute walk.

    • 7

      Perform strength-training exercises two to three times per week for 15 to 20 minutes per session to boost your metabolism as you build muscle mass. This will help your body burn calories more efficiently to promote further weight loss while giving you a lean, toned body.