Low-impact cardio is often recommended for people with joint pain, injuries, or other musculoskeletal (MSK) issues. But whether you’re in pain or not, anyone can benefit from this type of aerobic exercise.

“Low-impact cardio can be a good introduction to exercise for people who are just starting out or coming back to exercise after injury,” says Vanessa Matos, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. “It can feel more manageable for seniors. For athletes, it’s an effective way to cross-train while minimizing risk of overuse injuries. Low-impact cardio is a versatile and accessible option for anyone because it can be ramped up or down.”

Read on to learn what low-impact cardio exercise is, the benefits it offers, and which low-impact cardio exercises Hinge Health physical therapists recommend.

What Is Low-Impact Cardio?

Any type of cardiovascular (heart and lungs) exercise, from brisk walking to running to pickleball, increases your heart rate and breathing. This in turn increases how much oxygen the body consumes. Cardio exercise generally uses large muscle groups in a repetitive and rhythmic way to strengthen the heart and lungs, improving the efficiency of the body's cardiovascular system (hence the name).

“Low-impact cardio is a type of cardiovascular exercise that minimizes stress on the joints, particularly the ankles, knees, hips, and spine,” says Dr. Matos. “There's usually no jumping.”

For example, when you’re walking, one foot is always on the ground making it low impact compared to running, in which both feet leave the ground. Jumping jacks are high-impact, but side-to-side steps are low-impact. Other low-impact cardio exercises include cycling, using the elliptical machine, swimming, tai chi, and rowing.

Low-Impact Exercise vs. Low-Intensity Exercise

But don’t let the name fool you — just because an activity is low impact doesn’t mean it’s less effective or easier. Low-impact cardio exercises can range from low to high intensity, depending on how you perform the moves.

Many people mistake low impact for low intensity, but “they are separate concepts,” says Dr. Matos. “Low intensity refers to the amount of effort exerted and has nothing to do with the activity’s impact on joints.”

You can vary the intensity of low-impact exercise (or any exercise!), often by the speed at which you move, allowing you to adjust exercises to your ability level. 

• If you can sing while doing cardio, you’re working at a low intensity. 

• If you can talk, you’re at a moderate intensity. 

• If you can’t say more than a few words without taking a breath, you’re exercising at a vigorous or high intensity. 

“There's a time and a place for all intensities of movement, so play with the intensity to find what’s right for you,” says Dr. Matos.

Examples of Low-Impact Cardio

Not sure what counts as “low-impact” cardio? Here, a list of examples of low-impact cardio. All the activities on this list go easy on your joints.

• Walking

• Swimming

• Cycling

• Elliptical

• Yoga

• Pilates

• Rowing

• Tai chi

Why Should You Do Low-Impact Cardio?

All forms of cardio come with full-body benefits, like the ones below. Low-impact cardio, in particular, can come in handy when you’re new to an exercise or are ramping back up after an injury and want to give your body (including your joints) time to adjust. The benefits you may see when you make this type of exercise a regular part of your routine, include:

• Decreased disease risk. Like all types of exercise, low-impact cardio improves your health, reducing your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.

• Better mental health. Low-impact cardio exercise boosts your mood, eases stress and anxiety, makes you more alert, and may even slow cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

• Improved joint function. Along with enhancing your cardiovascular fitness, low-impact cardio exercise strengthens the muscles around joints for better range of motion, mobility, and flexibility.

• Less pain. Low-impact cardio exercise helps to decrease MSK pain by strengthening the muscles that support achy joints, increasing joint lubrication and releasing feel-good hormones.

• Better weight management. Cardio exercise burns calories, so “it’s a good tool in your toolbox for weight management, which also helps decrease extra stress on joints,” says Dr. Matos. And low-impact cardio can be just as effective as high-impact cardio for weight loss. In one study, men and women lost weight whether they jogged or walked for exercise.

• Low risk of injury. The risk of injury from low-impact activities is relatively low, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. For instance, walking typically presents a lower risk of injury compared to running. However, this doesn't mean that high-impact activities need to be avoided — even if you have arthritis or joint pain. If you've been steering clear of these because of injury concerns, it might be worth reconsidering how you can slowly work higher-impact activities into your routine. With proper preparation, and by adapting activities to what your body can handle, you can prepare your body to handle a variety of exercises safely. 

"There are also less tangible, but equally important, benefits to low-impact cardio, such as its ability to help improve quality of life and daily function," says Dr. Matos. “Exercise ensures that people are able to do the things that matter most to them.” Think: golfing, hiking, traveling, or playing with kids or grandkids.