Joint-Friendly Strength: Low Impact Moves That Deliver Results

First things first: Low impact does not mean low results. You don’t have to jump or do high impact exercises to build strength and increase your fitness. In fact – if you’ve ever skipped a workout because the exercises are putting excessive stress on your joints then this blog is for you.

Strong, sculpted and supported — without the impact? Here’s your go-to guide for building strength the joint-friendly way.

Why Go Low Impact?

Low impact training is gentle on your joints but tough on your muscles.
It’s perfect for:

• Beginners who want to build up safely
• Women with past injuries or sensitive knees, hips or backs
• Anyone needing something sustainable

With the correct training program you’ll still challenge your muscles — without the jumping.

My Top 5 Low Impact Strength Moves That Actually Deliver

1. Glute Bridges

• Target: Glutes + Hamstrings
• Lay on your back, drive through your heels, pushing your hips towards the ceiling and squeeze at the top.
• Add a dumbbell across your hips or try single-leg for a greater challenge. 

2. Slow Mountain Climbers

• Target: Core + Shoulders
• Skip the speed — go slow, squeeze, and control the movement.
• This low-impact core finisher builds serious strength without the jolts or jumps.

3. Deadlifts (RDLs)

• Target: Hamstrings + Glutes + Core
• Hinge from the hips, keep a flat back as you take the weight down close to the front of your thighs. When your chest is parallel to the floor, come back up to standing. Whether you’re using dumbbells or kettlebells, this one’s excellent for posterior chain strength.

4. Wall Sits

• Target: Quads + Mental Grit!
• Slide down the wall, hold, breathe. Come down to 90 degrees or wherever feels comfortable with your knees.
• Great for leg strength, endurance and stability.

5. Bird Dogs (Weighted or Bodyweight)

• Target: Core + Stability + Glutes
• Slow, controlled, and great for the deep core muscles.

How to Structure Your Low Impact Strength Session

Here’s a simple format to follow:

Warm-up (5 mins): Gentle mobility + activation (think glute bridges, arm circles, bodyweight squats, if knees are fine to do so)
Strength Sets (20–30 mins): 2–4 rounds depending on your time allowed
Cool Down (5 mins): Stretch

Sample circuit:

• Glute Bridges x 12
• RDLs x 10
• Slow Mountain Climbers x 20 (10 per side)
• Wall Sit x 30 sec
• Bird dogs x 30 secs (alternating sides)
  

Low impact doesn’t mean low effort — go slow, lift heavy (when you’re ready) and focus on control. 

Final Reminder:

Burpees are optional. Strength is not! There are so many options to improve your leg strength (such as those above) and stay kind to your joints. You don’t need to jump. As your strength increases you can add more weights, more reps, more time. 

Train smart. Stay consistent. And never underestimate the power of slow, controlled movement. 

As always, any questions please do get in touch.

Caroline x