Look, I’m all about the jumping, sprinting, high-impact cardio when I’m exercising outside or in my gym’s studio. But when it comes to working out in my apartment, when one wrong burpee could send me crashing into my downstairs neighbors’ living room? Not the best idea.
Recently, I’ve gotten really into doing low-impact cardio workouts on YouTube. Even if you love your burpees, star jumps, and jumping jacks, there’s a place in your fitness routine for low-impact cardio. When those jumpy, intense moves are off the table — whether because you’re injured, tired, a beginner, coming back from a hiatus, or just don’t have the space — low-impact workouts can make you break a sweat just as well. “Low impact” means you always have some part of your body (usually a foot) on the floor, so you’re doing any jumping, hopping, or bounding. And though they’re often confused, low impact doesn’t mean low intensity; you can still get your heart pounding when doing low-impact cardio moves. You’re just not leaving the floor.
Try one of the following low-impact cardio workout videos — all from our award-winning YouTube channel, POPSUGAR Fitness — to see for yourself; you’re guaranteed to spike your heart rate and save your floorboards while giving your joints a break, too.
— Additional reporting by Lauren Mazzo