Losing weight doesn’t always require high-impact, strenuous exercises that can be tough on your joints and muscles. When combined with a calorie deficit and an increased protein intake, low-impact workouts can be equally effective in helping you burn fat and achieve your weight loss goals. That’s why I’m here today with five of the absolute best low-impact workouts to burn body fat.
These workouts are gentle on your body while still providing a great calorie-burning and muscle-toning experience. I often remind my clients that the benefits of low-impact fat-burning workouts extend beyond dropping a few pounds. Low-impact exercises can help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, improve heart health, and build lean muscle mass.
Here are five low-impact workouts to burn body fat all over. Begin at your own pace and increase intensity, frequency, and repetitions as needed. Read on to learn more, and when you’re finished, don’t miss out on the 9 Best Chair Yoga Exercises for Belly Fat.
Workout 1: The Fat-Blasting Circuit
Cardiovascular exercise helps create a calorie deficit, promoting fat loss and improving heart health. Cardio circuits can increase endurance, making it easier to engage in more extended and intense workouts, accelerating weight loss progress and overall fitness.
1. Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks elevate your heart rate, improve cardiovascular fitness, and engage multiple muscle groups. They also promote muscle growth in the lower body, resulting in a lean, toned appearance many of my clients hope to achieve.
Stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Jump while spreading your legs and raising your arms overhead. Return to the starting position. Repeat for three sets of 30 seconds.
2. High Knees
High knees elevate your heart rate, burn calories, and strengthen your core. The combination of fat-burning and building a tight, lean core is especially beneficial.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lift your right knee as high as possible while bringing the left arm up. Alternate quickly between your knees and arms. Repeat for three sets of 30 seconds.
3. Standing Bicycle Crunches
Standing bicycle crunches are specifically beneficial for those looking to lose weight because they engage the core muscles, helping to strengthen and tone the abdominal area while increasing calorie expenditure due to their dynamic nature.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands behind your head. Lift your right knee while bringing your left elbow toward it. Alternate between knees and elbows. Repeat for three sets of 20 reps (10 per side).
Workout 2: The Pilates Fat Burner
Pilates is a fantastic low-impact workout that focuses on core strength, flexibility, and overall body conditioning. It’s perfect for people who are looking to burn fat and sculpt lean muscles.
1. Pilates Hundred
The Pilates hundred exercise is an excellent move to raise your heart rate and engage your core muscles.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the ground. Pump your arms up and down by your sides while inhaling for five counts and exhaling for five counts. Repeat for three sets of 100-arm pumps.
2. Pilates Roll-Up
The Pilates roll-up is a low-impact exercise that targets the entire abdominal region. It’s great for shrinking the midsection, burning calories, and contributing to a toned and tight physique.
Lie on your back with your arms extended overhead. Inhale as you lift your arms and your head off the ground. Exhale as you roll up, reaching for your toes. Inhale and reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Repeat for three sets of 12 reps.
3. Pilates Single-Leg Circles
This exercise helps tone the lower body and improve flexibility. It also helps to build lean muscle mass which can contribute to a higher metabolic rate and more calories burned at rest.
Lie on your back with your arms by your sides. Lift your right leg toward the ceiling. Make small circles with your right leg, keeping the movement controlled and precise. Change direction after five circles. Repeat for three sets of 10 circles per leg.
Workout 3: Yoga for Weight Loss
Yoga is an excellent low-impact workout that helps with fat burning, promotes relaxation, and reduces stress.
1. Downward-Facing Dog
Downward-facing dog stretches and strengthens the entire body, promoting flexibility, balance, and stress reduction.
Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Lift your hips toward the ceiling, straightening your legs. Press your palms into the ground, and keep your heels as close to the floor as possible. Hold the pose for 30 seconds, focusing on deep breaths. Repeat three times.
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2. Warrior II Pose
Warrior II is a standing yoga pose that works the legs, arms, and core muscles. Standing yoga poses are great for burning extra calories while increasing core strength.
Stand with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot out to the side, and bend your right knee. Extend your arms parallel to the ground. Gaze over your right hand. Hold the pose for 30 seconds. Repeat on the left side. Complete three sets per side.
3. Bridge Pose
Bridge pose targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles. You can incorporate dumbbells or weights into this exercise for an added challenge and boosted calorie expenditure.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart. Lift your hips off the ground, keeping your feet and shoulders grounded. Hold the pose for 30 seconds. Repeat three times.
Workout 4: Swimming Workout
Swimming is a full-body, low-impact workout that’s highly effective for burning calories and toning muscles. It’s also an awesome cardiovascular workout that builds endurance and contributes to overall fitness.
1. Freestyle Stroke
Freestyle is an excellent stroke for overall fat-burning and muscle engagement. It targets multiple large muscle groups, making it an efficient way to burn many calories in one session.
Begin the stroke with a flutter kick. Your legs should remain relatively straight, with a slight bend at the knees. Maintain a continuous, gentle kicking motion to propel yourself forward.
Simultaneously with your kick, begin your arm strokes. Rotate your body to the side as you pull one arm underwater and push it backward. Your hand should follow a semi-circular path from the front to the hip.
Freestyle swimming involves a slight rotation of the body from side to side. This rotation helps reduce drag in the water and increases the efficiency of your strokes. Coordinate the rotation with your arm pulls. Swim laps for 20-30 minutes.
2. Flutter Kicking
Flutter kicking strengthens the legs and core while building cardiovascular endurance and scorching calories. You can either swim laps using the flutter kick and a kickboard, or perform a stationary version by holding onto the edge of the pool.
Hold onto the edge of the pool or use a kickboard. If performing the stationary version, kick your legs in a fluttering motion for four sets of one minute. If swimming laps, do so for 10 to 20 minutes.
3. Backstroke
The backstroke is another effective swimming stroke that engages various muscle groups, helping you burn calories while building strength and endurance. It’s a great way to add variety to your swimming routine.
Float on your back with your body extended. Keep your ears submerged while your face remains above water. Initiate the movement by fluttering your legs in an alternating, scissor-like motion. Your legs should be relatively straight, with a slight bend at the knees. Simultaneously, perform a continuous, alternating arm motion. Your arms should move in a continuous, windmill-like pattern. Swim laps for 20 to 30 minutes.
Workout 5: Stationary Bike Circuit
Stationary biking is an effective low-impact cardio workout that can help you burn calories and promote weight loss. This fat-blasting circuit incorporates various exercises to make your stationary bike workout more engaging and effective.
1. Stationary Bike Warm-Up
It’s important to thoroughly warm up your muscles and gradually increase your heart rate. You can extend your warm-up time for an extra gentle ride.
Start your workout with a five-minute warm-up on the stationary bike. Pedal at a moderate pace to gradually increase your heart rate and prepare your muscles for the circuit. Gradually increase the resistance on your bike during the warm-up.
2. Sprint Intervals
Sprint intervals on a stationary bike combine the fat-blasting benefits of high-intensity interval cardio while protecting your joints, making this exercise highly effective at total body weight loss.
Begin your first high-intensity interval. Pedal at your maximum effort for 30 seconds. Increase the resistance if your stationary bike allows. Rest for one minute. Complete another 30-second sprint. Repeat this circuit a total of 10 times.
3. Stationary Bike Cool-Down
Gradually lowering your heart rate is an important step in performing high-intensity cardio. You can keep the resistance level raised to blast through those final calories while recovering from your cardio-heavy ride.
Gradually reduce your pedaling intensity to lower your heart rate. Pedal at this lower speed for five minutes. After your cool-down, be sure to stretch your lower body for faster recovery.
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