December 15, 2021

What is Low-Impact Exercise? (And, Why It’s Better Than High-Impact)

There are two types of people: Those who hear High-Intensity and immediately get excited for a heart pumping workout, and those who are immediately turned off by the description “High-intensity”. What if we told you that having a high-intensity workout with low-impact is A THING? Lagree can give you exactly that. First, let’s dive in a bit:

What Does High-Intensity Mean?

High-Intensity workouts are, as you can expect, intense. They exert your body beyond its limits in the form of dynamic movements. High intensity exercises are typically performed in an interval style of training - You've most likely heard of HIIT which stands for “High Intensity Interval Training.” An example of this would be sprinting and giving your max effort for a short specific burst followed by a rest.

Other HIIT exercises include jump squats, jump lunges, playing a game of basketball, tennis or performing plyometric exercises.

Why High-Impact Workouts aren’t for everyone.

High-impact workouts tend to be extremely challenging physically and without proper mobility and form, can cause injury and setbacks. While the benefits are high, these types of exercises aren’t accessible for everyone to safely participate in. Depending on the weight of the load and intensity of the exercise, High-Impact workouts are known to put stress on your joints and muscles. If you have weakened tendons, ligaments, and joints from injury, a sedentary lifestyle, age, etc,  high-impact exercises could make conditions worse without proper instruction and emphasis on form and technique.

If you're middle-aged, overweight, or have little to no basic level of fitness, high-impact exercises could be exponentially taxing on your body. While it is possible to participate in high-intensity workouts under certain circumstances and supervision, it may not be the go-to style of training to start with. If your overall goal is to live an active lifestyle and get into shape, there are a number of ways to achieve that goal.

What is Low-impact Exercise?

Let’s dive into low-impact exercises. To put it simply: Low impact exercises don’t place added strain on your body. These workouts are geared more towards core control, balance, flexibility and strength, and while high-impact exercises have their benefits, jumping and intense movements require immense control over your body which begins with low-impact exercise.  

Let’s compare elliptical vs running on a treadmill as an example. The former is more fluid and relaxed in movement and while the pace can change, both feet are securely on the machine at all times . The latter, however, simulates running with constant landing and lifting while in motion.

Benefits of Low-impact Exercise

A low-impact fitness routine is generally a safer approach for most people, especially for those new to fitness or coming back after a hiatus. With low-impact, there’s a deceased risk of injury, unlike with high-impact workouts. Because these exercises provide less impact, they are perfect for people of all ages and varying fitness levels, as well as athletes who are recovering from injury.

As we mentioned above, low-impact exercises focus on flexibility, making it ideal for people who strive for stability and balance rather than only power. You can’t successfully master power exercises without increasing your core strength, stability and balance first and foremost.  Low-impact exercises are also a great way to participate in movement while recovering from an injury that may require less physically tolling movements.

How the Megaformer masters a low-impact approach with high-impact results.

Most high-intensity exercises accompany high-impact movements. But, Lagree Fitness changed this narrative. The Lagree Method made it possible to combine the benefits of a high-intensity workout with a low-impact approach.

The machine is known as The Megaformer. It’s an incredible workout structure that accommodates all kinds of movements that the human body is capable of participating in. With it’s adjustable spring loads used as tension, you can set the pace and intensity to match your fitness levels. The Megaformer covers all your fitness needs by providing a combination of strength training, cardio, fast transitions, endless variations of exercises and an overall mind-body connection like no other. Because of the adjustable tension/resistance, all exercises are entirely low-impact.

‘High-intensity’ Doesn’t Always Have to Be ‘High-impact’.

High-intensity exercise will push you to your limits. They can get the heart rate above 75% of the max capacity for the majority of workout duration, which while ideal for some, can be physically exhausting for others.

With it’s revolutionary design, Lagree makes it possible for you to get that high-intensity feeling without the high-impact movements. It’s important to make sure to not confuse ‘impact’ with ‘intensity’ as they are two different things that can easily be misunderstood to many clients. Exercising smart is truly the key to a successful, attainable journey and while jumping, sprinting and exerting as much energy as possible in the shortest time is important to some, we believe in the QUALITY of your workout.

The workout that revolutionized fitness is here and waiting for YOU. Come join us to start your journey to living your best life. Visit our first timer pages and book your first two classes with our $25 BOGO special!