Joint Friendly Conditioning

Today, I want to discuss some great alternatives for people who have aches and pains that limit their options for “cardio”.  At IFAST, we get a lot of clients who have, or have had, bad knees, backs, hips, elbows – you name it, and we have probably seen it.  Because of this, we often have to get creative with how we program the “cardio” portion of the workouts.

When you first hear the word “cardio”, what pops into your mind?  I am going to assume jogging, riding the elliptical, the stationary bike, or something very similar.  If none of these cause pain and are fun for you, then they can be fine options**.

However, for many people, these options are quite boring and/or cause pain.  Therefore, let’s look at a few of the conditioning tools we use at IFAST for conditioning work.  Not only do these tools get your heart rate up, but they also require you to use a lot of muscle mass, which is great for fat loss and full body conditioning.  They are also very joint friendly, and people seem to enjoy them much more than traditional forms of “cardio”.

KB Swings.  These are pretty much great for everyone.  They strengthen the hips and glutes, which almost everyone needs more of due to our sedentary society.  They are also very joint friendly.  Lastly, they will get your heart rate up in no time and are fun!  They can look intimidating at first, but many of our clients are swinging a kettlebell on day 1 and do great with it.

 

Battling Ropes. This is great for anyone with a lower body injury.  It is one of the few conditioning tools that gives your lower body a break:

 

Prowler/Sled.  This is another great low-impact tool that will really strengthen your hips and glutes while getting your heart rate up significantly.  I think this is one of the best tools to use if your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, and/or better conditioning.

You can sprint with it using a lighter weight, or load it up and walk slowly with it.

 

So if you are dealing with any aches or pains, or are just tired of your conventional “cardio”, then consider checking our gym out.

These are just a sample of some of the great options we have at IFAST.  We strive to give our clients a great workout that is fun for them and also keeps them pain-free.