A 15-Minute Low-Impact Leg Workout to Boost Your Energy
Looking for a low-impact leg workout that’s easy on your joints? Try these at-home functional strength exercises from Alo Moves instructor Claudine Lafond. This 15-minute low-impact workout for your legs will build muscle, improve your endurance, and increase your flexibility with a dynamic blend of strength and cardio. It’s perfect if you’re looking to build muscle and up the sweat factor without adding extra pressure on your joints. Modifications are offered if you need to decrease the intensity or level up the challenge.
This low-impact strength training workout uses supersets, which is a style of training that moves from one exercise to the next without a break for rest in between. Each superset works through two low-impact exercises and one cardio boost to get your heart rate up without jumping or explosive movement.
What you’ll need: A mat, 2 blocks, and weights of your choice. You can also perform these exercises without equipment or using prop substitutes.
WARM-UP
- Standing Heel-to-Glute Kicks
- Squat to Hip Lifts
- Squats
- Sumo Pulse Squats
- Reverse Lunge Pulses
- Squats with Heel Raises
SUPERSET #1
Perform the first two exercises back to back, 10-15 reps per exercise, with no break in between. Follow it up with the cardio exercise for 30 seconds, then repeat the round for a second time with the opposite leg in front for the single-leg deadlift. Take a short break, then move on to Superset #2.
1. Squats with weights
Place weights on your shoulders. Feet are parallel with option for a wider stance. Lift your chest and remain tall through your spine. Inhale to lower down to squat and push your hips back, exhale to drive through your heels and press your hips forward. Keep your elbows close to your body.
2. Single leg deadlift
Step your right foot forward, left foot back with most of your weight in your right leg. Left heel is lifted. Spine is tall, shoulders rolled back, arms straight. Weights are in hand and close to your body. Inhale to hinge forward at the hips, keeping your neck long. Exhale to drive up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
3. jumping jacks with squat
No jumping version: Step your legs out wide and reach your arms overhead. Follow it up with a squat.
Challenge version: Hop your legs out for a standard jumping jack and follow it up with a squat.
SUPERSET #2
Perform the first two exercises back to back, 10-15 reps per exercise, with no break in between. Follow it up with the cardio exercise for 30 seconds, then repeat the round for a second time with the opposite leg in front for the first two exercises.
1. Reverse Lunge with Weights
With weights at your sides, step your right leg back and lower your right knee all the way to the ground, keeping your chest tall and core engaged. Step forward and repeat on the same side.
Challenge version: Lift the weights overhead (shown here).
2. Lunge to Glute Kick
Place your hands on the blocks on their tallest setting. Step your left leg back so you’re in a lunge with your chest lifted. Then kick your left leg up into the air, squeezing your glutes at the top. In your kick, keep your left leg hugging in toward the center line of your body.
3. Sumo Squat with Side Lunge
Take a wide stance with your toes turned out, then squat down until thighs are parallel with your knees. After one rep, turn toward the short edge of the mat by pivoting on the ball of your back foot and perform a lunge by dropping your back knee down. Come back to center, do a sumo squat, then turn toward the opposite side of the mat to lunge on the other side. Repeat.
Want to practice the full-length 15-minute Low Impact Strength class with Claudine Lafond? Try her new Low-Impact Strength series on Alo Moves. Get a free 14-day trial here.