As more people start to understand the impact of the stress hormone, cortisol, the more we are learning about the best ways to offset the stress of daily life. Going from a high-stress job to a high-stress workout doesn’t always have a positive effect on your health. Your body needs movements that help it rest, recover, stretch and flow. Low impact workouts can be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to working out for relaxation. We’ve got five great workouts to add to your routine. Just watch as your joints feel better than ever.
Swimming
Offering constant resistance, moving through water strengthens your muscles and offers cardiovascular support without the wear and tear on your joints. Water is about 800 times denser than air, so cutting through on each stroke can provide amazing benefits for your body. While it’s a great low-impact workout, it’s far from easy! Warm up at a moderate pace and swim from side to side of the pool for at least 20 minutes.
Cycling
Since cycling is a non-weight-bearing activity, hitting an indoor or outdoor bike for your sweat session can help you get the cardio work you need without the added pressure on your joints. If you can get outside, the added benefit of getting natural red light and Vitamin D can help regulate your biorhythms to natural levels – meaning your body doesn’t have to work as hard to do what it needs.
Yoga
Different yoga flows offer a variety of impact levels. Restorative yoga gives your body the rest it needs to recover and operate effectively. Vinyasa gives practitioners a more active flow that tones and stretches throughout each of the movements. Helping your mind relax and slow down, your body can recover from daily stressors more effectively when you incorporate yoga into your routine.
Rowing
Your body needs different functional movements to keep it mobile and agile. Chances are, you haven’t done much rowing in your life. When you get to a rowing machine, you’re giving your upper body, legs and core the workout of a lifetime. These machines torch calories while giving your cardiovascular system the exercise it needs to stay healthy without the pressure on your joints.
TRX Training
These straps give your entire body a workout, even if you’re isolating a certain muscle. An acronym for total body resistance training, TRX adds a punch to traditional body-weight workouts like pull-ups, pushups, mountain climbers and more. When you add the straps, the amount of exertion increases across each muscle group, giving you a work out like none other. Switch up your workout routine with these ideas and watch as you feel stronger, more agile and more connected to your body.
