When choosing exercises to stay fit and healthy, it’s important to think about the long-term effects that these exercises might have on you. You want to be doing activities that keep your joints healthy and unharmed, because they will allow you to continue being active later in life. Important factors of these exercises is whether or not they involve a lot of impact, as any sudden hits and pressure caused by impact will be detrimental to your joints. Another factor is whether they utilize a wide range of motion, so as to still be an active workout. However, no matter what it is, overdoing any exercise isn’t good for you. Now, here are some workouts that are a tremendous benefit to your joints.
Rowing
What makes rowing a unique and wonderful exercise is that it works out your entire body, utilizing muscles in your arms, legs, shoulders, and back. At the same time, the continuous motions of rowing make it a great cardio exercise that is healthy for your heart, and builds your endurance over time. On top of all of this, rowing is excellent for your joints because the continuous water resistance of most rowing machines isn’t going to be high enough to damage the cartilage in your shoulders and knees, but is plenty enough resistance to give you a good, balanced workout.
Swimming
As far as cardio goes, swimming is essentially the Cheerios of exercise, in terms of how it is beneficial for your heart. Swimming is an exercise that is very easy-going on your body, and can be done quite intensely or casually depending on the skill level of the participant. The continuous and relaxed resistance of water also makes the stress on your joints almost non- existent. If you want to take it to the next level, try utilizing a swimming pool to do other exercises, such as upper body-building. The water will make it much safer for your joints, while the added water resistance will actually make it easier to burn calories and build muscle.
Cycling
The act of cycling is probably the best replacement for running that you can find. Continuously
runnig everyday can put a lot of stress on your knees, ankles, and shins, and can lead to types of arthritis later on in life, if you’re not careful. Cycling is a great way to prevent arthritis, as it will put the same level of active resistance on your legs, but without the impact that makes running so dangerous in the long run (pun intended). On top of it all, cycling is a form of transportation, as you can get places fairly quickly, while still having a good workout on the way.