Discover Low-Impact Exercises

If you’re recovering from surgery or an injury or just want to be more active, low-impact is a great choice. These exercises are effective calorie-burners without the jumping and jarring that is common with other intense forms of exercise.

You’ll still reap all of the benefits–boost heart rate, flexibility, strength, balance, and mood–minus the excessive stress on your joints, tendons, and ligaments. Most connective tissues respond well to mild or moderate stress.

Here Are Our Top 5 Home Exercises:

Swimming

If you have access to a pool, swimming is the #1 low-impact way to exercise your whole body. In the water, there is no stress or pressure on the joints. When you swim, the water acts as the resistance against your body and you can use foam dumbbells or a weighted vest to add more resistance. In just 20 minutes a day, swimming’s benefits are impressive and include cardiovascular conditioning, building strength and endurance, weight loss, and significant reductions in joint pain and stiffness. Here are some easy pool exercises to try.

Walking:

Another easy and full-body low-impact exercise is simply getting out for a walk in the fresh air. Just 10 minutes a day is beneficial, especially after meals to aid digestion and minimize blood sugar spikes. Other benefits include burning calories, boosting cardiac health and immune function, and easing joint pain.

If you’re out walking in the colder months, our new Ella Suede Boot is now available for preorder and will ship in November. This boot has all the healing power of the original flip-flop and is tailor-made for outdoor weather. With a velvety suede outer fabric and a soft cozy fur lining, it’s like getting a rejuvenating massage with every step. Your feet will thank you!

Strength Training:

Strength training two times a week is ideal to reap all of the perks which include increased muscle mass (which in turn helps fat-burning), stronger bones, joint flexibility, and improved balance. You can use 2-5lb dumbbells, or kettlebells to perform easy movements for 8-12 reps. This rep range could be considered more conducive to hypertrophy or endurance of muscles.

Our goal is not a strict protocol, but rather to simply encourage you to progressively overload your muscles. It’s important to stretch for a few minutes first to warm up. You can increase the weight as you become stronger.

Bicep Curls: Stand with a weight in each hand, palms facing forward. Bend your elbow and lift the weight towards your shoulders then lower slowly. Alternatively, one could have the thumbs facing forward when the arms are fully extended. When you complete the muscle contraction, the thumbs will be facing your shoulders.

Tricep Extension: Hold a weight with both hands overhead and slowly lower it behind your head. Keep your elbows close to your ears as you do this movement to isolate the tricep muscle. Extend your arms to push the weight back up.

Dumbbell Squats: Hold a weight in each hand at your sides. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and squat down, with your back straight and chest up. Hold this pose for several seconds then slowly raise back up to standing. Generally, it is best not to flex the knees past 30 or 40 degrees without coaching. This puts structures inside the knee under a lot of stress.

Yoga:

One of Dr. Warner’s favorite exercises for relaxation and managing stress also has the added benefits of inflammation reduction, improved brain function, and increased bone health. Yoga is an easy at-home exercise and all you need is a mat.

You can find free all-level yoga poses and tutorials based on specific health symptoms here. Dr. Warner is an advocate for in-person yoga with a trained yogi, but she also understands this is logistically not possible for many.

QiGong:

QiGong (pronounced: chee-gong) is another gentle low-impact exercise that can be done standing or in a chair. With some poses similar to yoga, QiGong is a form of “movement meditation” that has been practiced in China for thousands of years.

Several studies revealed that a regular practice of this ancient art touts many health benefits, such as lowering high blood pressure and taming anxiety and depression symptoms while boosting bone health, balance, and sleep quality. You can find short, free instruction videos by trained Qigong Masters on YouTube.

Now that you’re in the swing of a new movement routine you may experience some aches and pains as your muscles recover and adjust. You may also just need some relief from everyday aches and pains as you stay active. Here are a few supplements to help.

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Tart Cherry Extract

Dr. Warner recently revealed this potent anti-inflammatory supplement as one of her favorite antioxidants, and for good reason. As a surgeon, she sought to help her patients recover naturally from inflammation-related muscle and joint pain. The goal? Improved joint mobility and full muscle recovery support.

Tart cherry extract is a powerhouse combo of antioxidants and targets the same inflammation receptors as over-the-counter pain relievers minus the dangerous side effects. Experience relief and recovery with a potent daily pill packed with 1,500 mg of tart cherry extract.

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Pain Relief Cream

If you’re seeking natural topical relief of myofascial and ligament discomfort, try this soothing mix of pain-relieving PEA, cooling 3% menthol, and Dr. Warner’s personal blend of essential oils. This extra strength formula delivers a quick-absorbing, moisture-rich solution to ease muscle tension and improve range of motion.

Aloe vera juice, shea butter, and hyaluronic acid keep your skin soft while you enjoy this powerful therapy and muscle recovery support.