Get your sweat on and strengthen your muscles with these 20 low intensity moves.
When you’re feeling sore or tired, try this 20-minute full body low impact workout. These exercises are easier on your joints, yet still tough, allowing you to focus on form rather than speed. All you need is yourself and a mat to get that heart pumping and muscles toned!
There are days when working out is the last thing I want to do. Some weeks it’s more often than not. Luckily I can usually talk myself into doing some type of activity because I know that when I get done I’ll feel that much better. (plus if it’s written down on my to-do list, I have to mark it off somehow ;))
Recently I’ve been giving myself pep talks before my workouts, but they are probably opposite of what you might think. They sound something like “just go workout for 30 minutes.” or “it doesn’t have to be intense, take it easy.” Telling myself that it doesn’t have to be the best workout of my life helps me ease into actually going to workout.
A couple of weekends ago I went to Kansas City for a girls trip and I purposely packed my gym bag and put it in the car, so when I got back into town I could just go workout. But when I got back to Ankeny, I did not want to go. I kept making excuses in my head and going back and forth whether I should go or not. I ended up going, but I told myself it could be an easy one. Once I got on the elliptical, I decided to do a little tabata training and it felt so good! Sometimes just getting there is half the battle.
This low impact workout is perfect for those “don’t want to go” days. It requires no equipment and no vigorous, pounding exercises. You can “take it easy” while still working your body’s muscles.
The moves are pretty straightforward. You’ll perform each one for 1 minute with no rest in-between moves. With longer timed intervals, you’ll be pushing your body past its comfort zone. The first few reps may feel easy, but give it time, I promise it’ll get tough. Each move will focus on either the lower or upper body and alternating throughout, allowing you to hit every muscle group in 20 minutes!
Ready to try it out?!
20-Minute Full Body Low Impact Workout
Equipment: mat
Perform each move for 1 minute with no rest in-between moves.
- Squats
- High Plank Walks – move arm and leg together – move right 1 and then left 1
- Fire Hydrants – 30 seconds each leg
- Tricep Dips
- RDLs – deadlift on single leg, squeeze glutes to lift – 30 seconds each leg
- Pushups on toes/knees
- Hip Bridges
- Lying Side Leg Lifts – 30 seconds each leg
- Calf Raises
- Supermans
- Standing Side Leg Lifts + Oblique Crunch – 30 seconds each leg
- High Plank Shoulder Taps (on toes or knees)
- Flutters/Swims – lying on your stomach, alternate moving your legs and arms up and down
- Lying Side Tricep Pushups – 30 seconds each leg
- Reverse Lunges – 30 seconds each leg
- Reverse Plank Sit Throughs – in tricep dip position, squeeze glutes and lift hips so hips are square to ceiling. Lower hips and sit hips through arms, squeezing triceps. Then lift back to tabletop position.
- Diagonal Leg Lowers – 30 seconds each leg
- Plank Walk Ups – move from low plank to high plank placing hand where elbow was to press body up.
- Pistol Squat on chair – 30 seconds each leg
- High/Low Plank Hold – 30 seconds each
