When designing your workout routine, understanding the difference between high-impact and low-impact exercises is key to optimizing results. But impact isn’t the same as intensity—a common misconception that can influence your training choices.
In this guide, we’ll break down high-impact vs. low-impact workouts, when to choose each, and how they affect your body. Whether you’re looking to build strength, boost endurance, or protect your joints, you’ll gain the insight needed to create a balanced and effective fitness plan.
The difference between high-impact and low-impact exercise
Impact refers to the amount of force exerted onto your skeletal system—your bones and joints—during exercise. It increases when both feet leave the ground, like in running or jumping jacks, making an activity high-impact. Low-impact exercises, such as cycling or elliptical training, keep at least 1 foot on the ground or maintain continuous contact with a surface, reducing stress on joints. Some experts also distinguish no-impact activities that don’t require any contact with the ground, like swimming.
A study comparing low-impact walking and high-impact running found that running subjects your feet and legs to twice the force per step. Additionally, runners take 170-180 steps per minute, compared to 100-130 steps per minute when walking—further amplifying the difference in impact of the 2 activities.
Examples of low-impact exercises:
- Cycling
- Elliptical training
- Rowing
- Plank position
- Squats
Examples of high-impact exercises:
- Running
- Tennis
- Jumping jacks
- Burpees
- Plyometric exercises
Some workouts, like HIIT, combine high-impact and low-impact movements. For example, a circuit session with burpees, lunges, and planks offers a mix of both.
When to choose high-impact exercises
1. To build bone density
High-impact exercises challenge your bones, which leads to increased bone density. They also build up muscles around the joints, strengthening and protecting them.
This type of physical activity is recommended for preventing osteoporosis. According to a recent study, an exercise protocol that includes high-intensity resistance exercises and high-impact training is shown to be most effective in improving bone density and other parameters of bone health.
However, if you already have osteoporosis or arthritis, you should avoid high-impact exercises due to a high risk of injury.
2. To burn more calories
While intensity—not impact—determines calorie burn, many high-impact activities demand greater energy output. Movements like plyometrics, sprinting, and jumping require explosive effort, making them effective for burning calories and fat.
3. To strengthen the cardiovascular system
High-impact exercises elevate your heart rate quickly, making them great for cardiovascular conditioning. They strengthen the heart, increase lung capacity, and improve blood circulation.
4. To increase muscle strength and power
High-impact exercises require a lot of muscle force and exertion to put your body in an airborne position. This type of physical activity is great for building power and developing muscle strength. Research recommends a high-impact exercise program to improve strength, balance, and overall physical function in older adults.
5. To improve coordination and reaction time
Neuromuscular coordination—the connection between muscles and the nervous system—improves agility, reaction, and motor skills.
Neuromuscular exercise programs typically incorporate balance, coordination, and strength training. High-impact exercises such as plyometrics are particularly effective at strengthening the connection between the nervous system and muscles.
When to choose low-impact workouts
1. To protect joints and reduce injury risk
For those with joint pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, or recovering from injury, low-impact workouts provide a safer alternative while still improving fitness. Activities like swimming or cycling minimize stress on joints while offering a full-body workout.
2. To support recovery and prevent overtraining
Low-impact exercises are excellent for active recovery between high-intensity workouts. They allow you to stay active without excessive stress on muscles and joints, preventing injuries caused by overuse.
3. To make exercise more accessible
For beginners, older adults, or individuals carrying extra weight, low-impact movements provide a gentler introduction to fitness without excessive strain.
4. To improve cardiovascular fitness without strain
Low-impact workouts elevate your heart rate more gradually than high-impact exercises, but that doesn’t mean they provide fewer cardiovascular benefits. Low-impact endurance cardio strengthens the heart, lowers resting heart rate, and enhances capillary and mitochondrial density.
You can still achieve high-intensity, low-impact training. For instance, a low-impact cardio exercise such as brisk incline walking on a steep gradient can drive your heart rate to levels comparable to a high-intensity interval running session—allowing you to build cardiovascular strength while minimizing strain on your joints.
5. To aid in weight loss
Low-impact workouts can be just as effective for burning calories as high-impact ones—it’s all about intensity. And in some cases, a high-intensity, low-impact, workout can outperform a high-impact one. For instance, you’ll burn more calories on a 15-minute CAROL ride, than a 30-minute run.
CAROL Bike burns over twice as many calories, minute-per-minute vs. traditional exercise, largely thanks to afterburn.
Impact doesn't equal intensity
Impact and intensity are often confused, but they measure different aspects of exercise. Impact refers to the force exerted on your joints and skeletal system, while intensity measures how hard your cardiovascular system is working. Exercise intensity is typically gauged by heart rate zones (a percentage of your maximum heart rate) or Functional Threshold Power (FTP).
Both low-impact and high-impact workouts can vary in intensity. For example, Zone 2 running is a high-impact, low-intensity activity, whereas sprint interval training in swimming or cycling is a low-impact, high-intensity exercise.
The shortest, most effective low-impact, high-intensity workout
CAROL Bike’s signature REHIT workout is the shortest, most effective low-impact, high-intensity workout—proven to deliver superior health and fitness benefits in 90% less time compared to regular cardio.
CAROL’s AI-personalization tailors the workout to you and helps you push to your limits during the 2×20-second sprints. Like in a ‘fight or flight’ situation, your muscles are forced to mobilize about 25-30% of muscular glycogen—your emergency energy reserve—releasing key signaling molecules (AMPK and PGC-1a), telling your body it must get fitter and stronger.
You develop more mitochondria, your blood plasma volume increases, and your heart gets stronger. Resulting in increased aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
CAROL’s AI-personalized low-impact workouts are easy to follow, suitable for any age and fitness level, and create the most potent training stimulus with just 2×20-second sprints. It’s a moment of effort you can always master to build a habit that lasts.
Final thoughts: Which type of workout is best?
Both high-impact and low-impact exercises offer substantial benefits, and the right balance depends on your fitness goals, health status, and recovery needs. A well-rounded program should incorporate both impact types to build strength, endurance, and cardiovascular health while minimizing injury risk.
If you have joint pain, osteoporosis, or a history of injuries, you should be cautious about putting too much stress on your skeletal system. Low-impact exercise—like cycling on CAROL Bike— will be a safer alternative that will improve your fitness.
FAQs
Who should avoid high-impact exercise?
Individuals with osteoporosis, arthritis, joint injuries, or excessive body weight should be cautious with high-impact activities to prevent stress fractures and joint strain.
Are high-impact and weight-bearing exercises the same?
Sometimes a high-impact workout is used interchangeably with a ‘weight-bearing exercise’. This is not entirely correct. Weight-bearing exercise includes any activity where you hold your body up against gravity such as walking, running, dancing, or elliptical training. A weight-bearing exercise can be high-impact as in the case of running or low-impact as with stair climbing.
Is low-impact exercise better for weight loss?
Both high-impact and low-impact exercises are effective for weight loss if they are high-intensity. You can include HIIT workouts in your cardio routine be it running, cycling, or swimming. Cycling is one of the most efficient low-impact options for massive calorie burn. CAROL Bike burns twice as many calories as regular cardio exercise due to significant afterburn.
Is low-impact less effective?
Not at all. Low-impact exercise can be just as effective as high-impact workouts for building muscle, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness—all while reducing the risk of injury. The key is intensity and consistency. Low-impact workouts offer a variety of options tailored to different fitness goals:
- Cycling and rowing deliver high-intensity, low-impact cardio—ideal for weight loss and heart health.
- Resistance training builds strength and muscle without unnecessary joint strain.
- Yoga and tai chi enhance flexibility, balance, and mobility while promoting active recovery.
By choosing the right intensity and type of workout, low-impact exercise can be just as powerful as high-impact training—without the added stress on your joints.
Is weight lifting high or low impact?
Weight lifting is considered low-impact for your lower body since you usually keep at least one foot on the ground. At the same time, it is high-impact for your upper body because it places a high level of strain on joints and connective tissues.
Can you build muscle with low-impact exercises?
Yes, you can effectively grow muscle mass with low-impact strength workouts. You can include resistance exercises such as planks, glute bridges, bicep curls, and lateral raises to avoid impact on bones and joints. Low-impact exercises, like lunges and side leg raises will additionally improve your joint stability and balance reducing the risk of falls and injuries.
Key takeaways
- High-impact workouts build bone density, power, and cardiovascular fitness but may stress joints.
- Low-impact workouts protect joints, aid recovery, and can still be high-intensity.
- Intensity matters more than impact—both workout types can be used for weight loss and cardiovascular health.
- CAROL Bike’s REHIT workout provides the most effective low-impact, high-intensity training for maximum results in minimal time.
Whichever workout style you choose, consistency is key. Listen to your body and find what works best for your fitness journey.
Got a question? Let's book a call.
All our experts have MSCs in Exercise Science, and they’re here to answer your questions. Whether it’s about the science behind CAROL Bike, or general fitness advice, whatever’s on your mind—we’re here for you.
