28 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com WALKING Considering it’s the first activity most of us learn that makes us truly mobile, walking might take the prize as the ultimate low-impact activity. It can be done nearly anywhere, it’s free and it requires almost no gear or special equipment. You don’t even need shoes to walk on the beach or in a grassy park. According to a healthline.com article published in November of 2018, the benefits of walking are myriad and include calorie burning, heart strengthening, lowered blood sugar, joint-pain reduction, improved immunity and mood, and improved muscle tone. DANCING Not only can dancing be a great low-impact exercise, it also is a fun and socially-engaging activity. Whether you are swaying and spinning at a concert or taking ballroom dancing classes at your local senior center, dancing can elevate your heart rate, tone your muscles, improve joint flexibility and even engage you mentally as you instinctively find creative ways to dance in the moment. The best thing about dancing? There are no rules. Make it up as you go, or learn a variety of structured dances at a school, community center or even from an online instructional video. SEATED EXERCISES Seated exercises are a fantastic method of engaging in many fitness regimens that might be difficult for some to do while standing. Livestrong.com states: “The value of seated exercises is they add stability, which enables you to focus on isolated movement patterns or joint-specific work without worrying about balance…” Certain weightlifting routines for arms and shoulders, for instance, can be performed while seated, eliminating the need to focus on balance and allowing for more focus on the movement. Dumbbells, kettle bells and resistance bands all can be used to good effect while seated, and there are even leg lift routines and abdominal exercises that can be performed while seated, all of which can be done with very little impact to joints or the spine if proper posture is maintained.
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