Jogging and walking are two very simple exercises that just about anyone can perform no matter where they live or how much time and money they can spend on fitness. However, age and illnesses can make it impractical, painful, or completely impossible to go on regular walks or jogs. Fortunately, there are several alternatives to jogging that can keep you just as active without putting too much pressure on your joints.
Swimming
Swimming may be the ultimate low-impact exercise. The resistance of the water makes it more difficult to move, but it’s a constant low-grade pressure that never spikes the way it does when you hop from one foot to the other. The water also helps support your body weight, and the constant soak keeps you from getting sweaty. Most towns have a public swimming pool or two where you can practice, and many fitness gyms have indoor pools you can use for exercise no matter what the time of year is.
Bicycling
Cycling puts your legs to work just like jogging, but unlike jogging they never need to touch the ground and your weight stays on the bicycle seat. A bicycle trip will also let you see more of the trail than a jog, plus you can always coast for a moment to rest your legs. A used indoor exercise bike machine can be fairly cheap if you don’t need many bells and whistles, and it will let you keep exercising even if the weather turns too cold or rainy to go for an outdoor bike ride.
Rowing
While bicycling exercises your lower body, rowing works your arms and core muscles while still using steady, circular motions. That makes it a nice exercise to alternate with cycling, and it may be your best option for exercise if you have trouble using your legs or balancing on a bicycle seat. It can be harder to find a good place to row outdoors depending on where you live, but just like exercise bikes it’s easy to find a used rowing machine for not much money. Both machines are also easy to find at most exercise gyms.
Tai Chi
Tai chi is sometimes called a “moving meditation.” Practicing the forms only requires a basic range of motion and enough balance to stand and walk, so most people can learn the exercise no matter what age or fitness level they’re at. You can also perform the movements at different speeds and for different amounts of time to focus on burning calories or heart health.
When you suffer from an illness that keeps you from being as active as you used to be, it can be challenging to adjust your exercise routine and stay healthy. However, there are a variety of low-impact exercises you can use to get around an issue or help you recover from a serious condition. At Andresen Active Healthcare, our experts can get hands-on with chiropractic care and massage therapy, but we also help our clients by figuring out the best corrective exercises and lifestyle changes that will keep you healthy no matter what condition you suffer from.