Beginners High-Impact Exercise Pros and Cons By Paige Waehner, CPT Paige Waehner, CPT Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer"; and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness." Learn about our editorial process Updated on February 10, 2020 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Michael Lau, PT, DPT, CSCS Medically reviewed by Michael Lau, PT, DPT, CSCS Michael Lau, PT, DPT, CSCS, is a licensed physical therapist, strength and conditioning coach, and co-founder of The Prehab Guys. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Getty Images/NPHOTOS When it comes to cardio exercise, there's no shortage of activities to get your heart rate up, from machines to home exercise, from outdoor activities to group fitness classes. One major thing to consider, when thinking about your cardio workouts, is the impact of your exercises. The amount of impact can have a big effect on how many calories you burn. The impact level of your exercises also directly affects how strong your bones are. High-impact exercise has many advantages, but it isn't for everyone. There are different levels of impact: No-impact, where your feet don't leave the ground (like swimming or the elliptical trainer) Low-impact, which involves activities where at least one foot is still on the ground (like walking) High-impact, where both feet are off the ground at the same time (like running or plyometrics) Basics High-impact exercise is one of the most effective ways to burn more calories since it's easier to get your heart rate up when you're jumping around more. High-impact exercise also strengthens the bones. Experts know that subjecting the bones to stress, like high-impact activity, causes them to add mass in response. Similar in the way that strength training creates more muscle, when you subject your muscles to a resistance they aren't used to, they grow stronger in response. But high-impact exercise isn't for everyone, of course. Not everyone enjoys the jarring nature of things like jogging or jumping rope and, of course, not all joints like that kind of thing either. Still, if you can work some high-impact into at least some of your workouts, you'll likely find you get better weight loss results. Best Insoles for Running, According to a Running Coach Pros and Cons If you're on the fence, there are some good reasons to add some high-impact exercise to your regular workout routine, even if it's just a bit at a time. But it's not always roses and butterflies. Most people who can't do high-impact exercise know it, but others find out only after giving it a try. Pros Gets your heart rate up more quickly so you burn more calories during exercise Improves your bone density Improves your stability, balance, and coordination Strengthens your heart and lungs Cons Can be painful for people with joint problems or arthritis Can lead to overuse injuries when done without cross-training Causes an impact of about 2.5 times your body weight, which could strain joints, ligaments, or tendons Might be uncomfortable for people who are overweight or obese Keep in mind that if you've tried high-impact but quit due to pain, you can try cross-training to build up your muscles first. Wearing the proper gear—such as footwear, clothing, and a high-impact sports bra for bounce control—can also help. Strong muscles act like brakes and can help decelerate high-impact movements. Strength and muscular control can lead to more success during high-impact exercise and decrease the chance of injury or overuse/stress-related injuries. How to Start Cross Training High-Impact Exercises to Try You can always try high impact exercises like running, but you can also avoid the constant impact by adding little bursts of high-intensity exercise to a regular, lower impact routine. Try choosing some of the following moves and adding them periodically throughout your workout: Burpees Froggy Jumps Jogging in Place Jumping Rope Jumping Jack Long Jumps Plyojacks Side to Side Jumping Lunges Squat Jumps High-Impact Workouts Below are some great high-impact workouts to try: 40/20 High-Intensity Interval Workout Tabata Cardio Workout Treadmill Cardio Circuit We Tested the Best High-Impact Sports Bras—These 12 Can Handle Any Workout 2 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Said M, Lamya N, Olfa N, Hamda M. Effects of high-impact aerobics vs. low-impact aerobics and strength training in overweight and obese women. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2017;57(3):278-288. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.16.05857-X NIH. Exercise for your bone health. By Paige Waehner, CPT Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer," and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit