Low-Impact Cardio Substitutions
5 Low-Impact Cardio Substitutions That Won't Destroy Your Knees (or Annoy Your Neighbours)
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There are a whole lot of alternatives to a burpee, so you should never feel obligated to do these at home, especially if you're trying to stick to low-impact workouts.
"Burpees are high-impact full-body movements that can put increased pressure on your joints and quickly fatigue your muscles," Barnes explained. "Burpees require a solid foundation of strength, mobility, and strong aerobic capacity. To reduce your risk of injury, it's best to start small."
Parsons recommends a variation of Utkatasana, or Chair Pose. "Consider this a yoga burpee," she said, noting that this series of yoga postures mimics the motions of a burpee, without the impact on the joints. It's a combination of a squat with an overhead reach and a forward thrust.
Barnes loves this move as well, because it can be a building block toward a more high-impact exercise (like a burpee), if that's your goal. "The squat with overhead reach will prepare your body for more high-intensity moves by strengthening your legs and increasing the flexibility of your hips, knees, and ankles. You can also improve your posture and stability with each overhead reach."
Another tip from Barnes: "Want to torch more calories? Don't forget to increase your speed."