If you’re looking for a low impact workout women over 40 can actually feel challenged by, this one is for you.
Somewhere along the way, low impact became another way of saying easy. I completely disagree.
Low impact tells you what is happening at the joints. It doesn’t tell you how hard you’re working.
And my new 35 Minute Low Impact Tabata for Perimenopause is a perfect example. No jumping. Plenty of effort. 😂
Low Impact vs Low Intensity
These are two completely different things.
A low-impact exercise keeps at least one foot grounded or removes the landing forces you get with jumping. A low-intensity workout simply doesn’t ask your body to work very hard.
You can absolutely have a low-impact easy walk or a low-impact workout where your heart rate is flying and you’re counting the seconds until the interval ends.
Same impact. Very different intensity.
That’s why I don’t want women assuming that choosing low impact means they’re somehow choosing the lesser version of a workout.
Why I Use More Low Impact Training Now
I can jump. I still include jumping in some workouts. But I don’t feel any need to prove my fitness by jumping through six workouts a week anymore.
Sometimes my joints don’t want it. Sometimes my energy doesn’t want it. Sometimes I simply want to train hard without adding unnecessary impact.
And I know a lot of women training with me feel exactly the same.
That becomes particularly useful through perimenopause because your energy and recovery can feel completely different from one week to the next.
You don’t necessarily need to stop training hard. You need more ways to adjust how you train hard. Low impact gives us another lever.
Can Tabata Be Low Impact?
Absolutely. Tabata-style training simply gives us short work periods followed by short recovery periods. The exercise inside that interval doesn’t have to be a jump squat.
We can use dumbbells. We can use fast low-impact movements. We can squat, press, hinge, row, punch, step or use controlled power exercises.
The heart and lungs still have plenty to do. That’s what I wanted with this workout.
Short. Sharp. Challenging. Without the repetitive landing.
When Low Impact Makes Sense
I use it when:
- my joints feel cranky
- my energy is lower but I still want to train
- I’ve already had a lot of high-impact work that week
- I want conditioning without feeling beaten up
- or I simply don’t feel like jumping.
None of those are excuses. They’re programming decisions.
How Do You Make Low Impact Harder?
This is where people often get stuck. They take the jump out and then don’t replace the intensity with anything.
Instead, try changing another variable:
- Use a heavier dumbbell.
- Increase your range of motion.
- Move with more intent.
- Use big compound exercises.
- Shorten the rest where appropriate.
- Add controlled power without leaving the floor.
You can make a low impact workout brutally effective without a single burpee. And yes, I say that as somebody who still quite likes burpees. 😂
A Low Impact Workout Women Over 40 Can Rely On Isn’t About Doing Less
This is the message I really want you to take from this. Low impact is not a step backwards. It is another training option.
Some days you might jump. Some days you won’t. Some days you’ll lift heavy. Some days you’ll walk.
The woman who has more ways to train is usually the woman who finds it easier to stay consistent. And consistency is where the results live.
Try the Workout
My new 35 Minute Low Impact Tabata for Perimenopause is built around exactly this idea. Real intensity. Zero requirement to jump.
And if you’d like an entire month built around challenging low-impact training, Low Impact Max Out gives you 28 days of strength and conditioning without jumping.
You can train hard and still be kind to your joints. Those two things were never opposites.
Penny x
