Raise your heart rate and burn calories at home with this low impact HIIT workout for beginners! This low impact HIIT workout will raise your heart rate and build muscle with minimal stress on your joints. Grab one dumbbell for this workout — a great strength and cardio workout for bad knees and weight loss.
This low impact HIIT workout is a quick but effective cardio workout at home.
If you’ve done one of my low impact workouts before, you know: low impact does NOT mean low intensity. This is high intensity interval training in a low impact way.
These low impact HIIT cardio exercises are great for beginners, bad knees and weight loss. You don’t have to jump to get a great HIIT cardio workout at home.
Grab a heavy dumbbell for today’s workout. You’ll raise your heart rate with a combination of strength training and low impact cardio exercises.
Free 2-Week Strength Program
Low Impact HIIT FAQs
What Is Low Impact Exercise?
Low-impact exercises have little to no impact on your joints (i.e. a walk or jog versus a run or sprint). They’re great for beginners, pregnancy/postpartum and those recovering from an injury. Low impact exercise is also a joint-friendly cross training option for high impact athletes. Any well-rounded training routine includes low-impact exercises and rest days to allow your body time to recover. Some examples include walking, cycling, yoga, ellipticals, swimming and water aerobics.
Can A HIIT Workout Be Low Impact?
Yes! High intensity interval training (HIIT) typically refers to intense bursts of energy for a short period of time. HIIT workouts are effective for calorie burn and fat loss. That said, there are ways to make a workout more intense without adding impact or strain to your muscles and joints. For example, you might lift heavy weights to raise your heart rate or shorten rest periods following a work time.
What Are The Benefits Of Low Impact HIIT?
Low impact cardio workouts improve heart health, reduce risk of heart disease, burn calories, build muscle and release stress all while being gentle on your knees, hips and ankles. Low impact workouts are great for all seasons of life, especially beginners.
10-Minute Low Impact HIIT Workout for Beginners (No Jumping)
Build total body strength and burn calories at home with this 10-Minute Low Impact HIIT Workout.
A no jumping, full body HIIT workout for all fitness levels.
Add this full body, fat burning workout to your beginner workout plan 1-2 times a week to build strength and improve your cardiovascular endurance.
Workout Equipment:
One medium-to-heavy dumbbell. I suggest between 8-30 lbs. I’m using a 12 lb, 15 lb and 20 lb dumbbell for this workout.
Shop My Extra-Large Yoga Mat
I get so many questions about this mat! I have the EXTRA LARGE Mat (8′ x 4′ x 1/4″).
Targets: The reverse lunge targets the quadriceps muscles (front of the thighs) and the gluteus maximus (butt). Adding the single arm shoulder press targets the shoulder muscles and core strength.
Pressing the dumbbell overhead (above the heart) is a sure-fire way to raise your heart rate while building core strength, balance and stability.
How To Do A Reverse Lunge And Press
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Holding one dumbbell in your left hand at your shoulder, neutral grip.
Step your right leg back into a reverse lunge, dropping your right knee down towards the ground as you lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
Then squeeze your left leg glute, driving your back, right leg forward as you stand up. Option to challenge your balance by pulling your right knee up parallel to your right hip; balancing on your left standing leg (soft bend in your standing leg).
As you drive your right leg forward, press the dumbbell in your left hand overhead.
Modification: Option to omit the knee drive and perform a split lunge.
Handswitch Dumbbell Swing
Targets: Hamstrings (back of the legs), gluteus maximus (butt) and hips.
How To Do A Handswitch Dumbbell Swing
Start standing feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand between your legs.
Hinge at your hips, pushing your hips and butt back towards the wall behind you, letting the dumbbell swing between your legs.
Squeeze your glutes to ‘swing’ the dumbbell up to chest level as you drive through your heels to stand tall. At the peak of the swing, or at chest level, switch the dumbbell to your left hand.
Modification: Option to omit the handswitch and perform a hip hinge with the dumbbell.
Push Up And Wide Climber Tap
Targets: Chest, triceps, shoulders, abs and core.
Adding the wide climber tap not only increases core engagement, but it’s a great mobility exercise to increase range of motion and open tight hips.
How To Do A Push Up And Wide Climber Tap
Start in high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, weight evenly distributed amongst all 10 fingers. Pull your kneecaps up towards your belly.
Hold the high plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground, with elbows falling back towards the hips. Maintain a straight line with your body — head, chest and legs in one straight line.
Once at the bottom of your push up, exhale as you push back up into high plank position.
With a tight core, step your right foot up towards your right hand (striving to get your right foot outside your right hand). Keep both hips stable and square to the ground.
Then step back to a high plank position and perform another push up before repeating the wide climber movement, alternating the leg that steps up toward your hand.
Modification: Option to take the push up from your knees or from an incline.
Uneven Front Squat And Rotational Press
Targets: The front squat targets the quadriceps muscles (front of the thighs), the gluteus maximus (butt), and hamstrings (back of the thighs). Adding the rotational shoulder press targets the shoulder muscles, core and obliques.
How To Do An Uneven Front Squat And Rotational Press
Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointing straight ahead or slightly angled out away from the body.
Hold one dumbbell in your right hand at your shoulder, palm facing your body.
With your weight in your heels, sit your hips back. Lower your hips down, parallel with your knees. Keep the weight in your heels, chest up.
Then drive through your heels to stand tall; driving your hips forward. Simultaneously rotate your hips to the left as you press the dumbbell in your right hand overhead towards the left (rotational press). Note: the right foot should pivot, following the direction of the dumbbell.
Return to the starting position and repeat.
Modification: Option to omit the rotational press and perform an uneven squat.
Launcher Plank And Row
Targets: This full body exercise challenges your core while also building strength in the middle and upper back muscles, shoulders and arms.
How To Do A Launcher Plank And Row
Start in high plank position with your right hand on the dumbbell. Hold this position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
From this plank position, engage your core as you push your hips back towards your heels; bending at the knees. Then explosively drive your body back into plank position (nose to fingertips).
Hold plank and pull your right elbow back towards your right hip, performing a plank and row on the right side of the body. Keep the hips square to the ground as you row.
Modification: Option to omit the plank launcher and perform a bent over single arm back row.
Pin this Workout: 10-Minute Low Impact HIIT For Beginners
This post includes affiliate links. I do earn a commission for products purchased using these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Nourish Move Love, making the content you see on this blog possible.
Low Impact HIIT
Low Impact HIIT
