I’m a graduate of the Insanity program. I committed myself to the program for 60 days – no skipping days – and completed it this past May. I had wanted to try the program for a while but didn’t want to shell out the money for it. I couldn’t bring myself to pay $120 for workout DVDs. I finally took the plunge this year after working out consistently for months with only minimal progress seen. I told myself that if it didn’t work, I’d send it back. Well, it worked.
I finally started seeing greater muscle definition in my arms and legs. I was thrilled! After I completed the program, I continued doing Insanity for a few more months just cycling back through the month 2 workouts. At some point in August, though, I felt like my body needed a break. Insanity is a great program, but it’s also very high impact. High impact workouts can place a considerable amount of stress on your joints and ligaments – the tissue that connects your bones.
I knew that I still wanted intense and challenging workouts, just ones that were not as stressful for my joints. In my search for high intensity, low impact workouts, I came across the Exhale Core Fusion workout series. The workouts include a mix of strength training, toning, yoga, and cardio. I purchased the Core Fusion 30-day sculpt program and the Core Fusion Barre Basics for Beginners. I’ve been using them both for a couple of months at this point and I LOVE them. They are serious total body workouts targeting your core, arms, and legs. I especially love them for my legs since they are my body part that’s most resistant to change. The best part is knowing that I don’t have to sacrifice intensity for workouts that are kinder on my joints. I still love a good high-impact workout though, so for me the key will be balance.
Takeaway message: It is possible to get an amazing workout that is both intense and joint-friendly. If you’re looking for low impact, high intensity workouts to try think swimming, yoga, weight training, or cycling. Remember that intensity refers to the level of difficulty of an exercise and the power required to do it, while impact refers to the pressure that is placed on your joints and ligaments.
What workouts are you currently doing that you love? I’m always looking for ways to switch up my exercise regimen, so tell me in the comments!
4 Comments
I'm currently re-starting the Insanity program. I, too, completed the whole program (without skipping) for 60 days this past May. The exhilaration for sticking to something was phenomenal, but I was kind of disappointed that I didn't trim (shred) down like I had wanted.
So this week, I'm embarking on cleaner eating, so that while I tone up on Insanity, I'm also shredding due to my diet. The mechanics need to work out this time around! In terms of low impact, I really enjoy yoga and Pilates, but I'm certainly down to try low impact workouts. Insanity kicks my ass consistently …right up until day 60! Whew
Thanks for sharing this!
I know exactly what you mean. After month 1 of Insanity I didn't see the changes I was expecting to. I looked at my diet and while I thought I was eating healthy (and I was), there was still room for improvement. Little things like snacking and eating later were adding up and negating all of my hard work. Once I made those changes it felt like my body changed overnight. It was kind of amazing. When people say it's primarily about the diet, they are right on the money. One suggestion is to look at your fiber intake. I may not know the exact number of calories I eat in a given day but I know how much fiber I get and I get a lot (30+ grams/day). It keeps things moving down there and that is very important!
Hi Chioma!!! Great post, girl! I agree that balancing it all out is the key to a healthy and fit body. I love high intensity workouts like insanity, but have discovered that something like barre/ballet inspired is just as good if you rotate it with short bodyweight circuits on other days. I've been loooooooooooooooving Ballet Body by Leah Sarago and it's probably the only program I've stuck to for so long (through pregnancy and now). I feel like it makes my body feel balanced and it's even "elongated" the looks of my muscles. It really is workin', hah! 😉 Have a gorgeous day~
Thank you Ellie! I'll have to look into that. I heard barre was challenging but my goodness! I love it though. I just purchased another barre-based workout by Tracey Mallet that's supposed to be tough so I'm looking forward to it. Thanks so much for reading!