Can I Do High Impact Exercises?

When we think of cardio, many activities and workouts come into mind whether it is on a machine or outdoor activities without any machine to use. But it is important to understand the impact when you want to do cardio since it can have a big impact on your body irrespective of how many calories you burn. The impact you choose can have different effects on the bones.

What Is An Impact?

There are 3 levels of impact resulted during exercise we perform.

  1. No Impact: This means both your feet stay on the ground at the same time during activity like elliptical training, swimming, etc. These kind of exercises are known as no impact exercises.
  2. Low Impact: This means one of your feet stay on the ground while performing the activity such as walking. This kind of exercises are known as low impact exercises.
  3. High Impact: This means both your feet don’t stay on the ground at the same time such as plyometrics and running. This kind of exercises are known as high impact exercises.

Running - High Impact Exercises

With this, you now know the difference between different kinds of impacts in exercises. You also know that high impact exercises are the most effective ways to burn fat and calories because these exercises increase the heart rate pumping up the blood when it is performed. These strengthen the bones and add mass as well to the body. It’s just like strength training which creates or builds body muscle. However, high impact exercises are not for everyone; they don’t suit everyone. Everyone doesn’t enjoy jumping rope, running, etc. and all the joints in your body are also not alike. However, you can indulge into few for faster weight loss results.

The Pros of High Impact Workouts

Even though you are not sure of adding high impact exercises to your daily routine, you can always add a few to start with. If done even a little of these workouts, it can give you huge benefits over time with regular training.

  1. These exercises improve bone density and increase your heart rate quickly so that you can burn the calories faster compared to other impact workout plans.
  2. It improves your balance, stability, and coordination.
  3. With these exercises, you will get strong heart and lungs.

The Cons of High Impact Workouts

Like we have pros, we always have cons for everything in this world and it applies to everyone. Those who have done high impact exercises are well aware of their downsides. So, instead of quitting abruptly try to learn something from your mistakes and correct them. Here are few cons of these exercises.

  1. If you do too much high impact exercises and avoid cross training then you may end up with injuries. It adds up to the arthritis patients and those with joint problems.
  2. It can cause an impact on the body about 2.5 times the body weight for exercises like running and this usually strains ligaments, joints, etc. and it adds up if they are already injured.
  3. Overweight and obese people may find it very difficult and inconvenient to perform high impact workouts.

Which High Impact Exercises Can I Try?

You can definitely add high impact exercises to your routine but make sure to mix it up with low impact and no impact exercises instead of doing only high impact exercises. Below are few high impact exercises listed you may like to try.

  • Running
  • Jumping rope
  • Jogging in one place
  • Squat jumps
  • Jumping jacks
  • Burpees
  • Froggy jumps
  • Long jumps
  • Plyojacks
  • Side to side jumping lunges

Which High Impact Workouts Can I Try?

The list given above were exercises for everyone who knows to start slow but if you want to indulge into some serious high impact workouts then try the following as well.

Before you start doing anything it is always suggested to consult an expert and then start into a proper plan that gives less or no side effects to the body. Never forget to cross train because focusing just on high impact exercises can harm you or give you any body damage over the long run or sometimes even at short terms when pushed too hard.

High impact workouts are not for everyone. It is for people who already have a baseline and hence have a lesser risk of injury that can be caused especially at the knee, ankle and other joints such as hip joints or sometimes even at spine. But these are performed to burn higher calories and it can also strengthen bones faster than low impact workouts.