Low-impact training has an image problem. Because it is associated with rehabilitation and gentle movement, many people assume it is less effective than high-impact training. This is not true. Low-impact training can build significant strength, improve cardiovascular fitness, burn substantial calories, and produce visible physical changes. The distinction is not about intensity. It is about joint stress.
What makes training low-impact?
High-impact training involves repeated forceful contact between your feet and the ground: running, jumping, burpees, plyometrics. This creates significant ground reaction forces through your joints, particularly the knees, hips, and ankles. These forces are not inherently bad (bones and joints adapt to load), but they do require adequate recovery time and can be problematic for people with joint conditions, post-injury, during pregnancy or postpartum, or during certain phases of the menstrual cycle when ligaments are more lax.
Low-impact training keeps at least one foot on the ground or removes the impact entirely. Cycling, swimming, Pilates, barre, yoga, rowing, and walking all fall into this category. They can still be intense. A hard cycling interval session or a challenging Pilates reformer class is anything but easy. The difference is the impact on your joints.
When low-impact is the smarter choice
During the luteal phase of your cycle (days 15 to 28), oestrogen drops and progesterone rises. This is a phase where many women feel lower energy, experience more joint sensitivity, and benefit from pulling back on high-impact work. Swapping a run for a cycle, or a HIIT session for a Pilates class, is not a step backward. It is intelligent cycle syncing that protects long-term progress.
If you are building a fitness habit from scratch, starting with low-impact training allows you to develop movement quality, build a base of fitness, and avoid the overuse injuries that sideline beginners who go too hard too fast.
When you might want to include high impact
Bone density is built through impact loading. Running, jumping, and weighted work all stimulate bone formation in ways that low-impact training does not replicate to the same degree. If bone density is a concern (relevant for anyone with a history of disordered eating, amenorrhea, or approaching perimenopause), incorporating some impact loading is valuable. The goal is balance, not avoidance.
The best training is the kind you can do consistently, that challenges you appropriately, and that you recover well from. Low-impact is not easier. It is smarter for the right person at the right time.