How to Go Low-Impact at the Gym
Exercise physiologist and Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Alexander Rothstein, Ed.D., discusses with how to achieve a low-impact cardio workout at the gym. For those recovering from injury or looking to protect their joints, swimming, ellipticals, spin bikes, air bikes, and treadmills鈥攁t an incline鈥攐ffer excellent low-impact exercise.
Rothstein notes that while 鈥渟wimming is very good for the body as a cardiovascular application, and for moving the joints through various ranges of motion,鈥� it doesn鈥檛 train the body for everyday movements compared to something like walking on an incline treadmill.
He offers similar caution for the elliptical: 鈥淭he ones that are fixed might not fit your natural hip, knee, and ankle motion very well.鈥� To combat this, Rothstein suggests seeking an elliptical machine that allows you to alter the stride length.