If you are just starting out, a low impact cardio workout a few times a week will get you moving in the right direction. I know this is a site for boot camp workouts, and those tend to be pretty intense. But if you aren’t at that level of fitness yet, don’t lose hope and assume those workouts are off limits to you. Start where you are and stick with it.
Workouts that have a reputation for being intense can be intimidating to people who are just starting out. I've heard it too many times that people avoid committing to boot camp workouts because they don't think they're in good enough shape. "Let me get in better shape on my own for a while before I join you."
That's like saying you'll become a better driver by sitting in a parked car.
The nice thing about that kind of reasoning for the person using it is that it's completely open ended. There's no date or specific criteria involved. So he's not committed to anything. Like he's trying to convince us that even though he's never participated in a bootcamp workout, he'll somehow know when he's put in just enough miles on the treadmill or elliptical to adequately fit in.
Almost every boot camp workout I've ever seen is designed to challenge everyone, and at the same time keep the group together. They're not going to leave you behind.
Having said that though, if you are just starting out and you feel more comfortable working your way up to some baseline fitness level, here are some low impact cardio ideas to get you started.
The primary goal right now is to show up every time and stay consistent. If you do that you will be doing burpees with the big dogs before you know it.
A beginner cardio workout has a very good chance of being successful if it is based on something you already like to do. If your nose automatically crinkles and your eyes squint when you look at a Stairmaster, you should take that as a good indication that you don’t want to start there.
On the other hand, if you have a favorite neighborhood park where you like to walk or ride your bike, then that could be the foundation of a plan that could work. It could work because it is more likely that you will stick with it if you enjoy doing it. Brisk walking, for example, is a great way to get you started, particularly if you have some hills around.
Any activity that involves continuous movement will work. No rules. You could walk, jog, bike, row, swim, or even dance. If dancing is your thing, hey that’s awesome. Of course, I can’t help you there too much beyond encouraging you to go do it. My dancing looks like football practice.
Don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the perfect activity for you. Pick one you like and do it 2 to 3 days a week with a rest day in between each workout day. As you become more fit, you will build yourself up to working out more.
Start your low impact cardio workout by warming up. Start moving at a fairly relaxed pace and
increase your heart rate gradually. Warm
up for 5 to 10 minutes with something light.
You can start walking or start peddling at a low level if you are on a
bike
Increase the speed/effort to a point where you can feel that you are pushing yourself a little bit. Think about your breathing being heavy enough that you could carry on a conversation but it would be fairly tough. Go as long as you can without getting too far out of your comfort zone. DO note how long you were able to go at this pace. That is a very important piece of information.
Don’t start out pushing yourself until you drop
(yet). Remember the intent here is to do a low impact cardio workout. Stay within yourself and stay at
it. It won’t take long to start to see
improvement as long as you do it consistently.
When you are done, drop the pace back down to more of a relaxed pace for a few minutes to cool down. When you finish your cool down, take a few minutes to stretch your muscles.
Keep track of the length of time you are at your workout pace. Increase that length of time each week until you can go nonstop for 30 minutes.
At this point there are two things you should keep in the
front of your mind and they are NOT your speed and your distance. The first thing you need to be thinking about
is actually DOING your workouts every single time. The second thing is building the amount of
time you can work out. There will be
plenty of time to worry about your speed and distance as your fitness journey
continues.
Stick to this low impact cardio workout plan for 4 to 6 weeks and then take it up a level. Add another day of exercise per week, increase the intensity, increase your time, and maybe add a new activity. But keep in mind you are still in the early stages of this journey. Don’t go overboard and get injured. An injury at this stage could knock you off track and throw away a lot of good work.
In fact, don’t go overboard and make your workouts miserable. If you hate them, you won’t do them.
It’s a balance. At the end of a low impact cardio workout you need to feel like you’ve done something, but you should still be looking forward to the next workout – not dreading it.
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