Low Impact HIIT??? Does it exist??

S

Stacy

Cathlete
I really want to lose some body fat and I think HIIT will help, but I have bad knees and I can't do the impact! How is it possible to really give it my all during short, high intensity cardio drills when my knees kill me?? I've tried changing to lower intensity, longer cardio sessions but that hasnt seemed to work, not to mention I dont have much time to workout so I want to make the most of the time I have. I need bionic knees I think lol. I cant even do jumping jacks without my knees aching the next day :(

Help!
 
Have you tried rebounding?
That's the only way I can run and do sprints without my knees screaming at me the next day. It keeps the intensity while reducing the impact to the joints.

Also, I do speed walking, and walking as fast as you can (near 5 mph or faster) can definitely be considered high intensity, IMO.

You also may be able to do more impact than you think if you change the surface (best is a floating--I think that's what it's called?--wood surface) and your shoes.

And don't think that you have to jump as high as Cathe and crew do. Keep the moves lower, but sink into the ground (into a squat) on landing to add more intensity. For example, instead of regular jumping jacks, try doing the JJ foot movement (in and out) but barely getting any air under the feet, landing into a squat on both the in and out. You may have to slow down the tempo a bit to do this.

HTH!
 
Last edited:
No, I havent tried rebounding. Is it possible to do the drills/blast premixes on Cathe's workouts on a rebounder or is there not enough room?? I'm not too familiar with rebounders. Thanks for your reply!
 
I think Low Max is a really good low impact high intensity workout I have knee problems and this one doesn't bother mine and it really gets my hr up.
 
You can do HiiT with an eliptical machine, or rowing machine, or stationary bike, etc., if running sprints is out of the question. Just do short segments of high intensity, followed by short segments of rest (if you want to really kill it, make your rest periods half as long as your working periods).
 
Hi, I have done Low Max and while it's low impact it still bothers my knees. It seems lower impact workouts compensate the impact by adding in more lunge/squat moves to keep your heart rate up, but with knee issues, "low impact" doesnt always mean easy on the knees. I'm interested in hearing more about rebounding. I'm worried I'll fall off of it, lol! What is a good brand to purchase, I'm sure arent as sturdy as others. Collage only shows Urban Rebounding workouts. Are those good? Are there others out there or is it better to use my Cathe's and modify? I want to make sure I'm dripping with sweat ;)
 
You can raise the incline on a treadmill for the intensity blasts or use a hill outside. I do that. It works pretty good and you get a good lower body workout too.
 
Great question, Stacy. I'm reading this thread with great interest. I just looked up rebounders and noticed that you can spend anywhere from about $30-$300. So, I'm curious to see which one would be best and what types of exercises you can actually do on them.

They remind me of the trampoline we had when we were kids. Gosh, I loved jumping on that thing!!
 
I'm not near a gym so rowing machines and ellipticals arent an option (unless I purchase one of course, but space and finances are limited!). With Xmas around the corner, may have to look into a rebounder a bit more.
 
Stacy:

do you have access to a treadmill? You can put the incline on the max (15%?) for minute or 2 minute bursts, with the speed at about 4-4.2mph (not less than 3.8!) and get pretty excellent HIIT workout if you repeat this for 20-30 mins. No impact involved. You are walk/climbing, as if backpacking in the Rockies, without the backpack!

Clare
 
Yeah, you can do great HIITs basically on any cardio machine. Cardio Coach and some of the itrains are great examples.
 
Rebounding hurts my knees worse than high impact for some reason. I would try it out before buying. I agree with the treadmill at 15% incline-its a killer for heart rate and doesn't hurt my knees like stairs or the step.
Beth
 
Coming at this question from another angle:

Are you taking anything for your knees? Any supplements like glucosamine/chondroitin/ MSM etc? I had to play around w/ different brands, but taking these makes a HUGE difference in how my knees feel and my ability to do impact work. :)

Also, are you doing LB work to help your quads and other leg muscles? That helps too as your muscles will absorb more of the movement, rather than your joints.

YMVV, but Tony Horton's workouts really works the bottom range of the move (i.e. touch the floor on squats, plies, slower prep on airjacks, jump kicks, plyo lunges, etc) before exploding up (or not). Conversely, Cathe tends to just explode up, not coming down low beforehand. I've found that going low before the explosive move prepares my muscles/joints for what's to come and let's me control the impact better. Tony also shows modifications for impact.
 
Stacy said:
No, I havent tried rebounding. Is it possible to do the drills/blast premixes on Cathe's workouts on a rebounder or is there not enough room?? I'm not too familiar with rebounders. Thanks for your reply!
Click to expand...
You'd have to modify some moves, because the surface of the rebounder is not that big, but it's fine with no modifications for things like tuck jumps.
 
jonahnah said:
Coming at this question from another angle:

Are you taking anything for your knees? Any supplements like glucosamine/chondroitin/ MSM etc? I had to play around w/ different brands, but taking these makes a HUGE difference in how my knees feel and my ability to do impact work. :)

Also, are you doing LB work to help your quads and other leg muscles? That helps too as your muscles will absorb more of the movement, rather than your joints.

YMVV, but Tony Horton's workouts really works the bottom range of the move (i.e. touch the floor on squats, plies, slower prep on airjacks, jump kicks, plyo lunges, etc) before exploding up (or not). Conversely, Cathe tends to just explode up, not coming down low beforehand. I've found that going low before the explosive move prepares my muscles/joints for what's to come and let's me control the impact better. Tony also shows modifications for impact.
Click to expand...

Joan, that's really interesting about Tony's workouts. What the heck is "YMVV"? I'm still on the fence about glucosamine/chondroitin, as I've only ever heard positive anecdotal evidence for it and the studies I've read weren't conclusive.
 
Yes I am taking joint supplements and have for almost 2 years, doubt it's doing anything beneficial, but I guess it's not hurting anything to continue which is why I do. I do mostly straight leg work for thighs like leg lifts etc and floor work. Even non-weighted squats and lunges bother my knees. Ive had 2 MRI's and the ortho docs find nothing wrong. They suggested an exploratory surgery but I'm not gung ho on surgery if there's nothing on an MRI that is abnormal.
 
Stacy said:
Yes I am taking joint supplements and have for almost 2 years, doubt it's doing anything beneficial, but I guess it's not hurting anything to continue which is why I do. I do mostly straight leg work for thighs like leg lifts etc and floor work. Even non-weighted squats and lunges bother my knees. Ive had 2 MRI's and the ortho docs find nothing wrong. They suggested an exploratory surgery but I'm not gung ho on surgery if there's nothing on an MRI that is abnormal.
Click to expand...

Stacy, have you been to a CAT (Certified Athletic Therapist) or a sports doctor?
 
morningstar said:
Joan, that's really interesting about Tony's workouts. What the heck is "YMVV"? I'm still on the fence about glucosamine/chondroitin, as I've only ever heard positive anecdotal evidence for it and the studies I've read weren't conclusive.
Click to expand...


YMMV = Your mileage may vary. :D

My orthopedist also says there's no conclusive proof it works, but I can always tell when I make a switch to an alternative formulary that's ineffective because my knees start hurting. It really does make a difference which brands I use. I've found that generics and store brands were the worst for me and also upset my stomach. :confused:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top