What are high-impact exercises?
When you hear the term “high-impact exercise,” what comes to mind? Maybe it’s a super-fit athlete jumping onto a tall box, or someone running a marathon. You might even think it sounds a bit intense, or perhaps even a little scary for your joints.
It’s a common thought. Many of us are advised to engage in low-impact activities, such as walking or swimming, to protect our bodies. While those exercises are fantastic and have their place, avoiding high-impact exercises altogether means you could be missing out on some incredible benefits for your bones, muscles, and overall health.
I was recently advised to do some high-impact exercises to help protect and strengthen my bones due to being put into a medical menopause at a younger age than they prefer. I am 45, and the medical menopause puts me at a higher risk of things like osteoporosis and brittle bone disease, so they ask you to take calcium and vitamin D and increase your high-impact exercises to help.
What are high-impact exercises?
High-impact exercises are activities where both feet leave the ground simultaneously. When you land, your body absorbs a force that is greater than its own weight. Think about jumping, hopping, or running. Each time your feet hit the floor, your bones and muscles are put under stress.
This stress might sound like a bad thing, but it’s actually very good for you. It acts as a signal to your body, telling it to get stronger. Your bones respond by building more bone tissue, and your muscles work harder, which helps them grow.
It’s easy to get “impact” confused with “difficulty.” A high-impact exercise isn’t necessarily a hard one. For example, skipping with a rope is a high-impact activity, but it may feel easier for you than a slow, low-impact exercise like holding a plank. The “impact” part is all about the force created when you land.
High-impact vs. low-impact exercises
To understand high-impact better, let’s compare it to its opposite: low-impact exercise.
Low-impact exercises are activities where at least one of your feet stays on the ground at all times. Think of walking, cycling, or using a cross-trainer machine. These movements are gentler on your joints because they don’t involve the forceful landing that comes with jumping. Swimming is another great example of a low-impact workout, as the water supports your body weight.
Here’s a quick comparison to make it clearer:
- High-Impact Examples: Running, jumping jacks, skipping, high knees, box jumps, sports like basketball or netball.
- Low-Impact Examples: Walking, swimming, cycling, yoga, Pilates, using an elliptical machine.
Both types of exercise are valuable. Low-impact workouts are excellent for building endurance, improving heart health, and are a safe option for people with joint pain or injuries. However, high-impact exercises offer unique benefits, especially for bone health, that low-impact activities can’t quite match.
Why do we need high-impact exercises?
If you want strong bones and a powerful body, high-impact exercises are your best friend. The benefits go far beyond just building muscle. Let’s look at why they are so essential.
Building stronger bones
This is perhaps the most important benefit of high-impact exercise. Our bones are living tissues that are constantly breaking down and rebuilding. When you do high-impact activities, the force of landing sends a signal to your bones to build more cells. This process makes your bones denser and stronger.
Think of it like this: if you don’t use your muscles, they get weaker. The same is true for your bones. If you only do low-impact activities, your bones don’t get the message that they need to be strong.
This is especially important as we age. After about the age of 30, we naturally start to lose bone density. This can lead to a condition called osteoporosis, where bones become weak and are more likely to break. Regular high-impact exercise is one of the best ways to fight this process and keep your skeleton strong for life.
Improving muscle strength and power
High-impact movements require your muscles to work hard and fast. When you jump, your leg and core muscles have to contract powerfully to lift you off the ground. When you land, they have to work to control your body and absorb the shock.
This type of training builds muscle power, which is the ability to use your strength quickly. Having good muscle power is useful in everyday life. It helps you react quickly if you trip, lift a heavy box, or run to catch a bus. Strong muscles also support your joints, which can help reduce the risk of injury.
Burning more calories
Because high-impact exercises are often very intense, they are great for burning calories. Activities like running, circuit training with jumps, or a fast-paced dance class can burn a lot of energy in a short amount of time.
This can be very helpful if you are trying to manage your weight. Even a few minutes of high-impact work in your routine can make a big difference to your total calorie burn.
Boosting your balance and coordination
Jumping, hopping, and changing direction quickly all challenge your balance and coordination. Your body has to constantly adjust to stay upright and in control.
Practising these movements improves the connection between your brain and your muscles. This helps you become more agile and less likely to fall, which is another crucial benefit as you get older.
How to safely add high-impact exercises to your routine
Are you ready to start jumping your way to better health? It’s important to start slowly and safely. Jumping into an intense routine too quickly can lead to injuries. Here’s how to do it right.
Step 1: Build a solid foundation
Before you start doing a lot of high-impact work, make sure you have a good base of strength. If your muscles aren’t strong enough to support your joints, you could get hurt.
Spend a few weeks focusing on low-impact strength exercises. Squats, lunges, and bridges are great for building strength in your legs and glutes. Planks are fantastic for developing a strong core. When you can do these exercises with good form, you’ll be ready to add some impact.
Step 2: Start small
You don’t need to go from zero to running a 5K overnight. Start by adding small amounts of high-impact exercise into your existing workouts.
For example:
- If you normally walk for 30 minutes, try adding a 30-second jog every 5 minutes.
- During your strength workout, add a set of 10 jumping jacks between exercises.
- Try some gentle skipping with a rope for one minute to see how it feels.
Listen to your body. If you feel any sharp pain, stop. A little muscle soreness the next day is normal, but joint pain is a sign you might be doing too much, too soon.
Step 3: Focus on good form
How you land is just as important as how high you jump. Always aim to land softly, like a cat. Bend your knees as you land to absorb the impact. Try to land on the balls of your feet and then roll through to your heels.
Avoid landing with stiff, straight legs. This sends all the shock straight up to your knees, hips, and back. If you’re not sure about your form, try practising in front of a mirror or ask a fitness professional for advice.
Step 4: Wear the right shoes
Good shoes can make a big difference. When doing high-impact exercises, you need shoes that offer good cushioning and support. Running shoes or cross-training shoes are usually a good choice. Avoid wearing flat shoes with thin soles, as they won’t provide enough shock absorption.
Step 5: Mix it up
Your body needs a mix of different types of exercise to be truly healthy. Don’t replace all your workouts with high-impact ones. A good weekly routine should include a balance of:
- Cardio: A mix of high-impact (like running) and low-impact (like cycling).
- Strength Training: To keep your muscles strong.
- Flexibility and Mobility: Activities like stretching or yoga to keep you moving well.
This approach, known as cross-training, helps prevent injuries by not over-stressing one part of your body. It also keeps your workouts interesting!
Who should be careful with high-impact exercises?
While high-impact exercises are great for most people, they are not suitable for everyone. Some individuals need to be more careful or stick to low-impact alternatives.
You should speak to a doctor or physiotherapist before starting high-impact workouts if you have:
- Existing joint problems: Such as arthritis or a previous injury to your knees, hips, or ankles.
- Osteoporosis: If your bones are already very weak, a sudden impact could cause a fracture. A doctor can help you find the right type of exercise.
- Are pregnant: The body changes a lot during pregnancy, and high-impact activities might not be comfortable or safe.
- Are very new to exercise: It’s best to build a foundation of fitness with low-impact activities first.
Even if you fall into one of these groups, it doesn’t mean you can’t exercise. There are plenty of fantastic low-impact options that can help you stay fit and healthy.
Your path to a stronger body
High-impact exercises are a powerful tool for building a strong, resilient body. By challenging your bones and muscles, they help protect you from bone loss, improve your strength, and boost your overall fitness.
The key is to approach them with care. Start by building a solid fitness foundation, introduce impact gradually, and always listen to your body. By mixing high-impact activities with low-impact workouts and strength training, you can create a balanced routine that will keep you feeling strong and healthy for years to come.
If you’re not sure where to begin, consider speaking with a certified personal trainer. They can help you create a safe and effective plan tailored to your personal fitness level and goals.
