Low-Impact Cardio: Joint-Friendly Ways to Raise Your Heart Rate

Low-impact cardio is any activity that raises your heart rate and breathing without jarring landings. Usually one foot stays on the ground, or the body is supported by water, a saddle or a machine. Brisk walking, cycling, swimming, rowing and marching on the spot all count. It is a sensible choice for sore joints, for beginners and for anyone exercising in a flat above other people, and it can still be hard work. Low impact does not have to mean low effort.

Low impact versus low intensity

These two terms are often mixed up. Impact describes how much force goes through the body with each step or landing. Intensity describes how hard your heart and lungs are working. A brisk uphill walk is low impact but can be moderately intense. A gentle jog is higher impact even at an easy effort. The guide to zone 2 cardio explains one way of judging intensity by feel.

Options to choose from

For a compact indoor option, the guide to exercise bike benefits looks at what a stationary bike offers at home.

Who it suits

• People with knee, hip, ankle or back discomfort that flares with running or jumping
• Beginners building fitness from a low starting point
• People carrying more body weight, who may find impact uncomfortable at first
• Anyone returning after injury, once a health professional has given the go-ahead
• Older adults who want activity that is gentler on joints
• Flat dwellers who would rather not shake the ceiling below

A quiet routine for a small flat

This simple sequence needs no equipment and avoids jumping. Spend a few minutes on each step and repeat the middle section as your fitness improves.

1. Warm up with an easy march on the spot, swinging the arms.
2. Step-touch side to side, adding arm reaches overhead.
3. Standing knee lifts, bringing the opposite elbow towards each knee.
4. Step-ups onto the bottom stair or a sturdy, low step, holding a rail or wall if needed.
5. Heel digs and hamstring curls, alternating legs at a brisk rhythm.
6. Shadow boxing with soft knees, keeping the feet light and grounded.
7. Cool down with slower marching and gentle stretches.

Short bursts count too. Even a few minutes of brisk marching between video calls adds up across a week, as the guide to exercise snacks explains.

Making it harder without adding impact

• Increase the pace or the range of movement
• Add more time before adding more effort
• Use hills, stairs or an incline
• Pump the arms higher during marching and step routines
• Raise the resistance on a bike, rower or elliptical
• Try intervals: a minute or two of harder work followed by easier recovery

Does low-impact cardio help with weight?

Regular movement of any kind supports health, mood and fitness, and low-impact options are easy to repeat, which is what makes the difference over months. For changes in body weight, eating habits usually matter more than exercise alone. If you want a simple measure to watch alongside the scales, the article on waist-to-height ratio explains one.

Common questions

Is brisk walking enough?

For many people, brisk walking is a perfectly good place to start and may be all they need for a while. The key is pace: walking quickly enough that you breathe a little harder and feel warm, rather than strolling. Over time, hills, longer routes or faster stretches keep it challenging.

Can I do low-impact cardio every day?

Gentle activity such as walking can usually be done daily. For harder sessions, alternating tougher and easier days gives the body time to recover, and mixing activities spreads the work across different muscles and joints.

Will it build strength?

Cardio mainly trains the heart, lungs and stamina. Pairing it with a couple of short strength sessions a week, such as sit-to-stands, wall press-ups or resistance band work, rounds out a routine.

Staying comfortable and safe

Wear supportive shoes for standing routines, clear a space free of rugs that slip, and drink water if you get warm. Some muscle tiredness after a new activity is normal. Sharp or worsening joint pain is not, so ease back and get advice if it happens. Talk to a GP before starting if you have a heart or lung condition, high blood pressure, diabetes or are pregnant, and stop straight away and seek help if you notice chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness.