Low Impact Cardio at Home

(10 NO-JUMPING MOVES WITH VIDEO DEMOS AND A QUIET 25-MINUTE WORKOUT)

By Brandon Lee

Low impact cardio is aerobic exercise that avoids jumping and the landings that come with it. At home, that means keeping at least one foot on the floor, with moves like marching, step jacks, squats with a reach and standing mountain climbers. Done briskly, they raise your heart rate with less pounding than jumping, and they are quiet enough for an apartment.

Below are 10 no-jumping moves, each with a short video demo, and a 25-minute workout with beginner and advanced versions. You don’t need any equipment. Low impact does not have to mean low effort: move faster and make the moves bigger, and you can still work hard.

In this guide

• What counts as low impact cardio?
• Benefits of low impact cardio
• How to make low impact cardio harder
• 10 low impact cardio exercises
• The 25-minute no-jumping workout
• How often to do low impact cardio
• Can low impact cardio help you lose weight?
• Frequently asked questions

What counts as low impact cardio?

The simple test is your feet: if you never land from a jump, the move is low impact. In a home workout, that means at least one foot stays on the floor at all times. In a small force-plate study of aerobic dance instructors, low impact moves produced lower peak up-and-down (vertical) forces than high impact moves, while peak side-to-side forces were similar. So low impact lowers the peak up-and-down force on your joints, but it does not remove all stress on them.

Feature	Low impact	High impact
Feet	At least one foot on the floor	Both feet leave the floor
Up-and-down force	Lower peak force	Higher peak force on landing
Noise	Quiet	A thud with every landing
Examples	Marching, step jacks, squats, brisk walking	Jumping jacks, running, jump squats, jumping rope

Other low impact options include brisk walking (try our indoor walking workout), stair climbing, a stationary bike, an elliptical and swimming.

Low impact is not the same as low intensity. Impact is about how hard your feet strike the floor; intensity is how hard you work. Use the talk test: at moderate intensity you can talk but not sing, and at vigorous intensity you cannot say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Both count toward your weekly activity. A brisk march held at one pace is a simple form of steady state cardio.

Benefits of low impact cardio

• Joint-friendly: no jumping means lower peak up-and-down forces than high impact moves.
• Quiet: no thumping on the floor, so you can work out at any time of day.
• Beginner-friendly: easy to learn and easy to adjust to your level.
• No equipment: every move in this guide uses only your body weight.
• Counts toward your weekly goal: moderate activity counts toward the 150–300 minutes a week recommended by the World Health Organization.

How to make low impact cardio harder

• Move faster.
• Make the moves bigger: deeper squats, higher knees and longer steps.
• Reach your arms overhead, which raises your heart rate.
• Shorten your rests.
• Add another round as you get fitter.

When you are ready for short, very hard intervals, try our 20-minute HIIT workout.

10 low impact cardio exercises

Each move has a short video demo; tap it to play. Keep one foot on the floor the whole time and choose a pace that lets you keep good form.

1. March in place

Why it helps: An easy warm-up and steady cardio move.

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Lift one knee, then the other, in a brisk, steady rhythm.
3. Keep your arms relaxed at your sides and your core lightly braced.

Harder: Lift your knees higher and pump your arms.

Form tips, common mistakes and muscles worked: march in place exercise guide

2. March and clap

Why it helps: Adds an upper-body rhythm that keeps your heart rate up.

1. March in place with an upright posture.
2. As each knee lifts, clap your hands under your thigh.
3. Swing your arms back out to your sides between claps and keep a brisk pace.

Form tips, common mistakes and muscles worked: march and clap exercise guide

3. Step jacks

Why it helps: A no-jump version of jumping jacks.

1. Stand with your feet together and arms by your sides.
2. Step your right foot out to the side as you raise both arms overhead.
3. Step back in as your arms come down.
4. Repeat on the left and keep alternating.

Easier: Raise your arms only to shoulder height. Harder: Speed up and reach high each time.

4. Squat and reach

Why it helps: Works your legs and glutes while your arms add to the effort.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms overhead, palms together.
2. Push your hips back into a squat and reach your hands toward the floor between your feet.
3. Stand up and reach your arms high again.

Easier: Squat only halfway. Harder: Rise onto your toes as you reach up.

Form tips, common mistakes and muscles worked: squat and reach exercise guide

5. Standing side crunch

Why it helps: Works your obliques, the muscles along your sides, without getting down on the floor. For more ways to train them, see our oblique exercises.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hands behind your head, elbows pointing out.
2. Lift your right knee out to the side toward your right elbow.
3. Crunch your side to bring them together.
4. Lower and repeat on the left side.

Easier: Lift your knee only partway and move slowly.

Form tips, common mistakes and muscles worked: standing side crunch exercise guide

6. Punches

Why it helps: Gets your heart rate up through your upper body and works your shoulders, arms and core.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees soft, fists by your chin.
2. Punch one arm forward, rotating slightly through your torso.
3. Pull it back as you punch with the other arm.
4. Keep your core braced and your elbows soft; don’t lock out your arms.

Harder: Punch faster, or shift your weight from foot to foot or step side to side as you punch.

Form tips, common mistakes and muscles worked: punches exercise guide

7. Lateral high-knee march

Why it helps: Moves you side to side, which works your hips and coordination.

1. Stand tall with your core engaged.
2. March with high knees while traveling sideways for 3–4 steps.
3. Change direction and march back.
4. Pump your arms in rhythm, elbows bent, one hand up as the other goes down.

Easier: March in place without traveling, or lift your knees lower.

Form tips, common mistakes and muscles worked: lateral high-knee march exercise guide

8. Standing mountain climbers

Why it helps: A fast, standing take on mountain climbers that gets your heart rate up without getting on the floor.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees soft.
2. Drive one knee up as you raise the same-side arm, elbow bent and fist up, while the other arm stays low.
3. Switch sides quickly and stay tall.

Easier: Slow the pace and lift your knee lower. Harder: Speed up while keeping one foot on the floor.

Form tips, common mistakes and muscles worked: standing mountain climbers exercise guide

9. Hurdle steps

Why it helps: Works your hips and glutes through a bigger range of motion.

1. Stand tall with your elbows bent and hands in front of you.
2. Lift your right knee up and out to the side, as if stepping over a low hurdle.
3. Step down and repeat with your left leg.
4. Travel side to side to cover some ground.

Easier: Stay in place instead of traveling and keep the hurdle low.

Form tips, common mistakes and muscles worked: hurdle steps exercise guide

10. Reverse lunge

Why it helps: Strengthens your thighs and glutes. In a small lab study, stepping back put less load on the kneecap joint than a forward lunge.

1. Stand tall with your arms relaxed at your sides.
2. Step one foot back and lower until both knees are bent, letting your chest lean slightly forward.
3. Push through your front heel to return to standing.
4. Repeat for half the interval, then switch legs.

Easier: Hold a chair for balance and lower only partway. Harder: Drive the back knee up to hip height as you return.

The 25-minute no-jumping workout

Work for 45 seconds and rest for 15 seconds. Do all 10 exercises in order, rest for 1 minute, then repeat.

What you need: no equipment. Wear supportive shoes, use a mat or rug to soften your steps and cut the noise, and clear enough room to take a few steps to each side. Keep a sturdy chair nearby for balance and some water to sip.

Part	Exercises	Time
Warm-up	Slow march in place, arm circles, shoulder rolls	2 min
Round 1	Exercises 1–10, 45 s on and 15 s off	10 min
Rest	Walk around and sip water	1 min
Round 2	Exercises 1–10 again	10 min
Cool-down	Slow march, then calf, hamstring and chest stretches	2 min

Beginner, standard and advanced versions

Pick the version that matches your fitness. Each total includes the 2-minute warm-up and 2-minute cool-down.

Level	Work / rest	Rounds	Total time
Beginner	30 s / 30 s	1	About 14 min
Standard	45 s / 15 s	2, with 1 min rest between	25 min
Advanced	50 s / 10 s	3, with 1 min rest between	About 36 min

At the beginner level, use the easier options where they are given. At the advanced level, use the harder ones. Move up a level once your current one feels comfortable.

Cool-down stretches

After a slow march, stretch your calves, hamstrings and chest gently, without bouncing. The demos below show one stretch for each. For more options, see our calf stretches and chest stretches.

Knee-friendly and quiet swaps

• Squat and reach: squat only halfway, or sit back to a sturdy chair and stand up again.
• Reverse lunge: step one foot back and tap your toes down without bending deeply, holding a chair if you need to.
• Marching moves: slow down, take smaller steps and lift your knees lower.
• Any move that hurts: skip it and repeat one that feels good instead.
• Noise: work on a mat or rug in supportive shoes and step down softly.

If you have a knee condition, ask a doctor or physical therapist which moves suit you.

How often to do low impact cardio

Aim for 3–5 days a week. Because it is gentle on your joints, you can do low impact cardio on back-to-back days; take an easier day if you are sore. Add strength exercises on two days a week, as the CDC recommends for adults. Walking on most days helps too. For a full schedule that mixes cardio, strength and rest days, follow our 30-day home workout plan.

Can low impact cardio help you lose weight?

Yes, as part of the bigger picture. Low impact cardio uses energy like any other aerobic exercise. What matters most is your total weekly activity and your eating habits, not whether your feet leave the floor. Without jumping, you may need a quicker pace, bigger moves or a little more time to reach the same effort.

More activity helps. The American College of Sports Medicine found that more than 250 minutes a week of moderate activity is linked to clinically significant weight loss, while 150–250 minutes a week gives modest results that improve with a moderate cut in calories. Walking, the classic low impact activity, reduced body weight and body fat in previously inactive adults in a review of randomized trials.

Results vary from person to person, and you cannot choose where you lose fat: in one trial, six weeks of ab exercises alone did not reduce belly fat. For a full no-equipment routine built for weight loss, see our home workout for weight loss.

Frequently asked questions

Can you lose weight with low impact cardio?

Yes. Low impact cardio uses energy like any aerobic exercise, and regular sessions combined with a moderate calorie deficit can support weight loss. More weekly activity tends to help more: the American College of Sports Medicine links more than 250 minutes a week of moderate activity with clinically significant weight loss. Results vary from person to person, and you cannot choose where you lose fat.

Is 30 minutes of low impact cardio enough?

For general health, yes, if you do it on most days. Thirty minutes on 5 days a week reaches the 150 minutes of moderate activity a week the CDC recommends for adults, as long as you work hard enough that you can talk but not sing. Add 2 days of strength exercises. For weight loss, build toward more weekly activity and pair it with healthy eating changes.

Can I do low impact cardio every day?

Yes, many people can, especially at an easy to moderate effort. Gentle moves like walking or marching are a simple way to stay active on most days. Vary the moves from day to day, take an easier day if you feel sore or tired, and stop any move that hurts. Add strength exercises on 2 days a week, as the CDC recommends for adults.

Is low impact cardio good for bad knees?

It is usually gentler than running or jumping because there is no landing from a jump. Keep every movement pain-free, squat and lunge only as deep as feels comfortable, and use the knee-friendly swaps in this guide, such as a chair squat instead of a deeper squat. If you have a knee condition or ongoing pain, ask a doctor or physical therapist which moves suit you.

Is low impact the same as low intensity?

No. Low impact means no jumping; in a home workout, at least one foot stays on the floor. Intensity is how hard you work. By moving faster, making the moves bigger and using your arms, you can still reach moderate or even vigorous intensity. Use the talk test to check: if you can talk but not sing, you are working at a moderate level.

Is walking low impact cardio?

Yes. When you walk, one foot is always on the ground, so you never land from a jump. Brisk walking, at 2.5 miles per hour or faster, counts as moderate-intensity activity, according to the CDC. On days when you can’t get outside, a brisk march in place or an indoor walking workout keeps you moving.

Is low impact cardio as effective as running or jumping?

It can be. For meeting activity guidelines, what counts is how hard and how long you work, not whether your feet leave the floor. Brisk low impact moves can reach moderate or even vigorous effort, depending on your fitness. Without jumping, you may need a quicker pace, bigger arm movements or a little more time to reach the same effort as running.

Can beginners do low impact cardio?

Yes. It is one of the easiest ways to start because the moves are simple and there is no jumping. Begin with the beginner version of this workout (30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, one round), use the easier options and add time as it starts to feel easier. Check with your doctor first if you have a heart, joint or other health condition.

Can I do this workout in an apartment?

Yes. Every move keeps at least one foot on the floor, so there are no jump landings to thud through to the neighbors below. For the quietest session, work on a mat or rug, wear supportive shoes and step down softly. The two traveling moves, the lateral high-knee march and hurdle steps, need only a few steps of space to each side.

References

1. Michaud TJ, et al. Ground reaction forces in high impact and low impact aerobic dance. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 1993. PubMed
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How to Measure Physical Activity Intensity. Source
3. Bull FC, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020. PubMed
4. Goulette D, et al. Patellofemoral joint loading during the forward and backward lunge. Phys Ther Sport. 2021. PubMed
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Activity: An Overview. Source
6. Donnelly JE, et al. ACSM Position Stand: Appropriate physical activity intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009. PubMed
7. Murphy MH, et al. The effect of walking on fitness, fatness and resting blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised, controlled trials. Prev Med. 2007. PubMed
8. Vispute SS, et al. The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat. J Strength Cond Res. 2011. PubMed

This article is general information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you are pregnant, recently gave birth, or have a health condition, injury or joint pain.