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16 low-impact exercise equipment options to maximize your fitness journey

Consider this your go-to guide for starting your fitness journey.
Courtesy Cassidy Mckenna / Courtesy Danielle Murphy

At-home workouts can be the best solution when you have a busy schedule and minimal time to break a sweat at the gym. With so many quality pieces of indoor exercise equipment on the market currently, working out from the comfort of your home is a doable task.

Beyond avoiding late gym fees to cancellations, building a mini athletic club inside your home has many health benefits. For starters, in a 2017 study from the University of North Dakota, it was also found that low-impact exercises like tai chi and yoga can improve balance and muscle tone.

To keep up with your fitness journey, Shop TODAY talked to two fitness experts for the best workout tips and low-impact exercises to maintain your overall wellness. We also found several topnotch low-impact exercise equipment options that will keep you in shape.

What are the best low-impact exercises? | Workout routine for beginners | Can I get fit with low-impact exercises?

What are the best low-impact exercises for weight loss?

According to fitness expert and certified personal trainer Janet Parker, the ideal low-impact exercise that engages your entire body is indoor rowing. "It offers both a cardiovascular and a strengthening workout at the same time. This is because it uses not only your legs and glutes (two of the largest muscle groups), but also your upper body and core with minimal impact on your joints."

Other low-impact exercises you can do at home include swimming, lifting, barre workouts, indoor biking, walking and strength training. "We would follow something that does not require any impact or jumping (such as plyometric moves). Most exercises can be low-impact depending on the intensity at which they are done," shared personal trainer Denise Chakoian.

How to build a workout routine for beginners

Once you start working out, it becomes easier to incorporate into your daily routine through practice and consistency.

Parker advises choosing an activity, finding a workout partner and setting an attainable goal that you can achieve. "Start with a goal of five push-ups a day and not 500 push-ups a day. It’s better to set a reasonable goal, not one you may never achieve."

She also recommends writing your routine down in your calendar. "If it isn't written down or in your phone, let's face it, it probably won't happen. Write it down and set aside the time to make it possible."

For Chakoian, building a workout program that includes cardiovascular or endurance levels will help you achieve your fitness goals. In order to measure your cardiovascular level, Chaokian suggests monitoring your heart rate with a fitness tracker or monitor. If you don't have either, "you can manually take a heart rate by checking how many beats your heart is pumping in 10 seconds and multiply that by six. To find your heart rate, you can take two fingers at your wrist or your carotid artery area [on the neck]."

She recommends starting a cardio routine with a 3-4 mile per hour pace or biking indoors with a low resistance level for 15-20 minutes.

Additionally, she advises incorporating push-ups and lower body exercises into your routine to improve your flexibility and strength. "Lower bodywork can be done with just bodyweight squats and lunges alternating legs. To introduce weight, start small at three pounds in each hand."

Can I get fit with low-impact exercises?

Yes, you can lose weight and get toned with low-impact exercises. Usually, low-impact workouts are great for "individuals returning back to activity from an injury, as well as those who are deconditioned, overweight or new to exercise. It is often used to offer high-impact and cross-training athletes an alternative to their normal high-impact and contact sports activities," mentioned Parker.

Low-impact exercises are also effective at improving your pace, stamina and strength. According to Parker, this type of workout does not have to mean low intensity. "You can get a productive workout without running or jumping, which can be hard on your joints causing pain or inflammation."

Low-impact cardio machines

Anwick Foldable Treadmill with Incline

Whether you like to walk or run, this treadmill is perfect for your at-home gym. It comes with a multiple LED display to visually show your speed, calories, distance and more. You won't have to worry about bothering your neighbors, as this foldable equipment has a low-noise motor that provides a quiet workout experience.

Weight capacity: 250 pounds

Speed limit: 0.6 mph - 7.5 mph

Sunny Health and Fitness Adjustable Rowing Machine

Tailor your low-impact exercise experience with this Shop TODAY-approved rowing machine. The equipment comes with a hydraulic resistance system that offers a smooth and quiet workout. It also features a multifunctional digital monitor, ergonomic seat, pivoting pedals, foam handlebar and steel slide rail that will help you burn fat.

Weight capacity: 220 pounds

Levels of resistance: 12

Circuit Fitness Folding Upright Exercise Bike

Score some miles in this easy-to-store bike. The equipment is foldable, compact and customizable for all fitness levels. It features non-slip pedals, an easy-to-read LCD monitor and a premium steel frame that provides ultimate performance.

"If you are looking to invest in your cardiac health, this could very well be the product for you! The best features for me are the durability of the product, the adjustable weights/resistance, and the scan setting that cycles through the different stats of your ride," said one Amazon customer.

Weight capacity: 250 pounds

Levels of resistance: 8

XTERRA Fitness Folding Exercise Bike

If you love cycling, this exercise bike is an option to add some resistance to your workouts. The bike offers the perfect save-saving solution and is lightweight enough to move around. It features a padded seat, comfortable handlebars and a simple LCD display to monitor your progress. Customers rave about how quiet the bike is and how easy is to fold up.

Weight capacity: 225 pounds

Levels of resistance: 8

Merax Foldable Rowing Machine

Increase the intensity of your workouts with this foldable rowing machine. The equipment features an adjustable resistance tension knob to easily increase or decrease resistance with a simple twist. With this machine, you can focus on the workout without having to come to pause.

Weight capacity: 330 pounds

Levels of resistance: 8

Home Fitness Code Space Saving Motorised Treadmill Walking Machine

A treadmill is always a great option to keep up with your cardio routine. This walking pad comes with a remote control that allows you to adjust speed and workout intensity. It's small enough to place under your standing desk and features a LCD display so you can see your progress.

The treadmill also comes with a walking and running mode, with speeds ranging from one to six miles per hour.

Weight capacity: 242 pounds

Speed limit: 0.6 mph - 6.2 mph

Sunny Health and Fitness Recumbent Stationary Bike

Practice your resistance training with this quiet-but-heavy-duty stationary bike from Sunny Health. Aside from having a digital monitor, the bike comes with pulse sensors to monitor your heart rate. This is a great option if you're getting back into a workout routine.

Weight capacity: 220 pounds

Levels of resistance: 8

Sunny Health and Fitness Walking Treadmill

This foldable treadmill is a great piece of equipment to maximize space in your home. It features a small digital monitor that tracks speed, distance, time and calories. The best part is that you don't need an outlet to connect it. The treadmill does not require an electric outlet and comes with wheels to be easily transported.

Weight capacity: 220 pounds

Speed limit: This is a manual treadmill. "When you walk and push your leg back, that power is transferred from the running belt to the flywheel," as mentioned by the brand.

Sunny Health and Fitness Rowing Machine

While this machine requires a bit of extra space in your room, the rowing machine is a great choice if you want to increase your fitness level with low-impact workouts. The equipment feature an elastic cord resistance with four levels of adjustable tension, an oversized contoured seat and a large LCD monitor to track your progress.

Weight capacity: 220 pounds

Levels of resistance: 4

Outroad Rowing Machine

What makes this indoor rowing machine so unique is the wood construction and water tank. For those requiring extra resistance, the added water tank will give you extra weight to pull. It comes with foam handles for an easy grip and this equipment won't impact your joints. You can still workout your arm, chest, abdominal, back, hip and thigh muscles with an easy body coordination.

Weight capacity: 330 pounds

Levels of resistance: Water provide the resistance

Maxi Climber Vertical Climbing Machine

While the vertical climber is designed for high-intensity workouts, you can easily adjust your pace and do low-intensity exercises with this machine. The MaxiClimber is foldable and easy to store in any small apartment. What makes it great is the ability to provide a full-body workout without extra weight or resistance. This machine is excellent for those that want to work biceps and glutes.

Weight capacity: 240 pounds

Sunny Health and Fitness Indoor Stationary Bike

This indoor stationary bike offers smooth and quiet workouts that won't disrupt your roommates. It has a micro-adjustable leather brake pad with an emergency stop feature — all you need to do is press down to stop the bike. Also, it is easy to assemble and sturdy enough to keep you pedaling for miles.

Weight capacity: 265 pounds

Power source: battery-powered

Other exercise equipment for low-impact workouts

NewMe Fitness Yoga Mat

If stretching is not your favorite thing to do, you can get some extra assistance with this mat. Whether you're into yoga or circuit training, this mat welcomes all levels. Its design features 70 illustrated, easy-to-follow yoga poses to help you stretch and pose properly.

Renoj Resistance Bands

Achieve the legs and glutes of your dreams with this resistance band set. This one is great for at-home workouts and total body workouts. The pack comes with different resistance levels and you can adjust your workout with a lighter band. These resistance bands will help you develop your muscles and can be used for a variety of workouts including yoga, pilates and more.

Gaiam Home Gym Kit

If you don't have much space in your home for equipment, you can improve your strengthening and cardio with this kit from Gaiam. The set includes an ab wheel, jump rope, push-up bars to enhance upper body strength and a resistance band. These tools require no extra storage space and are easy to use with the included exercise guide.

Chirp Wheel+ 3-Pack

This is a great alternative to the traditional foam roller. The bundle features three different wheel sizes ranging from four to 10 inches with foam padding to target back and neck pain, reduce tension and help your muscles recover, according to the brand.

Meet the experts

  • Janet Parker is a fitness expert, certified personal trainer, master barre instructor and the founder of Space Between Fitness, LLC.
  • Denise Chakoian is the owner and founder of CORE Cycle.Fitness.Lagree and is a cancer exercise specialist and boutique fitness consultant.