Getting your cardio in doesn’t have to mean pounding the pavement—or your joints, for that matter. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or just at that age where everything kind of hurts for no particular reason, low-impact cardio machines like the elliptical, spin bike, and yes, even the treadmill (with one small adjustment) offer a simple solution to get your heart rate up without hammering away at your precious connective tissues.
“It’s a great way to get exercise in and stay active without putting a ton of stress on your joints, especially if you’re someone that has pre-existing medical conditions or injuries,” says Megha Abraham, MD, assistant professor and sports medicine physician at UTHealth Houston.
Low impact doesn’t have to mean low intensity. Think of it as the opposite of soft cardio. Whereas soft cardio can be done using pretty much any machine or activity, provided that you’re taking it easy, low-impact cardio exercises let you go as hard as you want—without worrying about blowing out one of your knees.
From the gym floor to the swimming pool, here are experts’ top picks for the best low–impact cardio options that’ll allow you to train both smarter and harder.
Incline treadmill
Even on the best treadmills, which will dampen impact somewhat compared to the road or trail, running is not exactly low impact. That is, until you start increasing the incline. “What I like about adding incline is that it changes the position of your ankle, hip, knee, and spine,” says Milica McDowell, PT, MSPT, DPT, associate vice president of education at US Physical Therapy and author of WALK. “For anybody who has difficulty managing load on a flat surface, taking them to an incline is going to feel much more gentle.”
Adding incline to the treadmill doesn’t just adjust your body mechanics to more effectively absorb impact. Compared to a flat treadmill, it actually reduces the amount of downward force there is to begin with, says Alex Rothstein, EdD, MS, CSCS, exercise physiologist and assistant professor of exercise science at New York Institute of Technology. “You’re not really jumping up and landing down on the treadmill,” he says. “You’re kind of stepping up. There’s still some impact, but it’s not nearly as strong.”
Elliptical
When most people think of low-impact cardio, they probably think of the elliptical. “The elliptical originally came on the market as a lower-impact alternative to the treadmill,” says Dr. McDowell. Since your feet don’t leave the pads, the elliptical deals a fraction of the impact you’d get from running. And that’s not its only advantage. “By incorporating the upper extremities”—a.k.a. your arms— “you’re also going to burn more calories,” Dr. McDowell says.
To really make the most of your elliptical workout, look for the machine that allows you to move with your natural stride, rather than the kind that limits your legs to a fixed gait. “The ones that are fixed might not fit your natural hip, knee, and ankle motion very well, and we always want to do any type of repetitive exercise in our natural pattern,” says Rothstein.
Swimming
Of all the low-impact cardio options, swimming has the highest barrier to entry. Obviously, you need access to a swimming pool. But if low-impact cardio is a priority for you, it’s worth the effort (or even upgrading your gym membership). “For anyone that’s dealing with an injury or really bad arthritis or anything like that, I always recommend swimming, water aerobics, and things like that,” says Dr. Abraham. “There is still a little bit of impact, depending on how hard you’re swimming, but overall that’s going to be your lowest-impact option.”