There are lots of reasons why you would want to participate in a low-impact exercise. You may have bad knees or other joint issues that make it necessary to avoid exercises such as jogging. The big problem with this is that so many exercises are high-impact activities: running, playing basketball, and lots of other forms of exercise are going to be things you can't do. This might be discouraging, but it shouldn't be. There are plenty of things you can do that that will help you lose weight or gain muscle. Some of them are things you can do on your own, while others are offered at gym classes. Consider these ideas.

Cycling: Stationary or Mobile

Cycling is a great low-impact exercise. Riding a bike, either in class or on the street, is a perfect way to get exercise as well avoid the high-impact jolts that will cause joint pain. You can choose from indoor cycling classes -- most of which are guided by an instructor throughout each session. Many of these classes will also have music and a fun atmosphere. Alternatively, you can also choose to go outdoors and cycle. This is perfect if you don't live near a gym that offers indoor cycling options. If you do decide to go outside and do cycling, you will want to choose road cycling. Mountain biking is really fun, but if you are constantly going over bumps and hitting uneven patches on the path, then you will have an impact on your joints even if your bike has proper shock absorbers.

Swimming

One of the ultimate no-impact exercises is swimming. This is perfect for people who want to remove all impact from their exercise. You can do laps in a lap pool and get an excellent cardio workout. Swimming also is great for muscle building. All you have to do is look at some of the Olympic swimmers and you will see how toned up people get when they are daily swimmers.

Yoga

Perhaps the perfect low-impact exercise is yoga. It's an excellent core workout and can be done anywhere, so if you don't have access to biking trails or swimming pools it is the ideal situation. If you're not already familiar with yoga, you should definitely take a yoga class for beginners. The instructor will lead you through a series of poses that you can practice and develop your core strength and also get an excellent workout. Most classes only require you wear appropriate clothing and bring a mat. Companies like Ageless Yoga may be able to help meet your needs in this area.

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