High or Low Impact Workouts: Which is Better?
Andrew Parker - March 13, 2022

There are all kinds of different exercises out there, but so many options can create a lot of confusion for people. Should you be working out until you dripping in sweat? Should you opt for a more relaxed exercise? Working out is an important aspect of our lives. It helps to keep us healthy and boosts our moods. But we wanted to get some answers to figure out what kind of exercise would be best for our bodies.

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HIIT, otherwise known as High-Intensity Interval Training, is a term you’ve probably heard of over the last couple of years. This type of training can either be high impact or low impact and no matter which one you go for, you can still get a great sweat on. High impact training is exercises that put high levels of impact on your body and can be hard on the joints sometimes. High Impact involves a lot of jumping, specifically with two feet off the ground. Some examples include jump squats, jogging, and high knees. Low impact training, on the other hand, involves moves that have less impact on the body, such as walking, biking, and swimming. Low impact exercises are things like squats and pushups.

With high-impact exercise, you will burn more calories, but you also don’t want to overdo it or put unnecessary strain on your body. To test whether or not high impact is right for you, you need to test your body. The first is the jump test to see if your knees, ankles, or hips bother you when you jump. The next test is the plank test where you need to ask yourself whether your shoulders or wrists hurt while in plank position. The last evaluation is the jog test to see if your knees, ankles, or hips bother you while jogging. By answering these questions, you can determine which exercises are safest and more efficient for your body. It is also a way of honoring and listening to your body.

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