Low-Impact Workouts for Joint Pain in Women with Obesity

You might have been wondering how to maintain your fitness with painful joints. We know your fear, but don’t worry, that is why we are here to help you. For example, if you are dealing with joint pain, exercise might feel like the last thing you want to do. Or who wants to squat, lunge, or jog when her knees are already screaming with pain? But here’s the thing, movement isn’t your enemy at all. So, this is where low-impact workouts for joint pain work best.

In fact, the right exercises can help relieve your joint pain, reduce inflammation, and make your body feel better. These best low-impact workouts for joint pain are gentle on your joints and are structured to help obese women. Also, they will help you feel stronger and not sorer. Are you ready to discover the secrets to happy knees, hips, and healthy joints? Let’s move on to safe workouts for obese beginners.

Low-impact workouts for joint pain are exercises that avoid stressful movements like jumping or pounding. Also, having chronic stress can cause inflammation which can lead to several chronic inflammatory conditions. These may include rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, depression, and inflammatory bowel disease (Godman and Komaroff, 2023). So, this fitness plan focuses on controlled, smooth motions that minimize stress on your joints and reduce emotional stress. Let’s see why low-impact workouts for joint pain are a win-win for women with obesity and joint issues:

These exercises protect your knees, hips, and ankles from unnecessary wear and tear. This is becaues, low-impact exercises help keep your joint stress low while you move. So, stationary or recumbent bicycling, elliptical trainer workouts, or exercise in the water are low-impact workouts for joint pain (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, MFMER, 2023).

Stronger muscles act like shock absorbers for your joints, reducing pain and improving mobility. Therefore, these low-impact workouts for joint pain help build strong muscles that can support and protect your joints (MFMER, 2023).

Movement boosts circulation, which helps flush out inflammatory substances that contribute to joint pain. Aerobic exercise such as brisk walking that gets your heart and lungs working is a way to fight chronic inflammation. “It helps reduce your body fat, which contains inflammation-promoting substances. Low-impact workouts for joint pain may also increase the production of hormones that help keep inflammation in check (Godman and Komaroff, 2023).

You don’t need to be a fitness guru to try them, just start where you are. So, just make up your mind to help your joint and bones to remain healthy. Also, you will be free of pains by stepping out of your comfort zone.

The good news is that there are some exercises for women with obesity that are designed to reduce inflammation. Hence, these fitness routine strengthens your joints. And in these workouts, you don’t need fancy equipment or a gym membership to get started. These Low-impact workouts for joint pain are gentle, effective and full of fun.

The right kinds of exercise can strengthen muscles around joints, maintain your bone strength, increase your energy, make it easier for you to sleep well, control your weight, improve your balance and mood (MFMER, 2023). The following workouts can help lots of overweight women relief their joint pains:

• Why Walking is Great: Walking strengthens your leg muscles, boosts circulation, and promotes joint flexibility without adding strain (Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, 2024). So, taking a walk is one of the top low-impact workouts for joint pain.
• How to Start: Begin with short walks (even 5-10 minutes counts!) on flat surfaces. Gradually increase your time as your joints get stronger. We all need at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week to stay healthy. If you’ve been inactive for a while, start with a five-minute daily walk and work your way up to 20 or 30 minutes a day (Godman and Komaroff, 2023).
• Useful Tip: Some women may think thatwalking is stressful, but it shouldn’t, instead it is a low-key exercise that you can even do while chatting with a friend. So, you can engage a friend while taking a walk or you may walk your dog to make it funny.

• Why Swimming is Great: The buoyancy of water supports your weight, taking pressure off your joints while providing movements and resistance to build strength. Swimming is part of the low-impact workouts for joint pain has been shown to reduce inflammation. So, these aquatic aerobics are helpful for women that want to exercise without increasing their stress and inflammation (Ligos, 2021).
• How to Start: If swimming laps feels intimidating, try water aerobics or just walking in the shallow end.
• Useful Tip: Think of it as exercise without sweating because, honestly, who enjoys sweating?

• Why Cycling is Great: Whether you are using a stationary bike or cruising around the neighborhood, cycling is gentle on your knees. Therefore, strengthening your legs and improving joint mobility are the benefits of low-impact workouts for joint pain (Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, 2024).
• How to Start Cycling: Adjust the seat height so your legs are almost fully extended when pedalling. This will reduce strain on your knee and make it easy for you to continue for some time. You may start with 10-15 minutes at a time and increase the time as your joints permit.
• Useful Tip: Fix your mind on the expected outcome so that you will be motivated to maintain the routine. The key is to be happy with your workout.

• Why Yoga Exercise is Great: Yoga improves flexibility, strengthens supporting muscles, and reduces stress (which, believe it or not, can worsen joint pain). Yoga is also one of the relaxation-promoting exercises that can help to improve your mood and joint’s pain. So, if you want the best exercises for obese women with knee pain, go for yoga.
• How to Start: Try gentle poses like Cat-Cow Stretch, Child’s Pose, or Seated Forward Fold. Look for beginner or plus-size-friendly classes.
• Useful Tip: You don’t have to fold yourself into a pretzel, just do what feels good and fun.

• Why Deep-Breathing Exercises is Great: To reduce stress, practice relaxation-promoting exercises, such as yoga or deep breathing. Women who take part in these types of workout have less stress and fewer inflammatory markers in their blood (Godman and Komaroff, 2023). Hence, these exercises are among the best exercises for obese women with knee pain.
• How to Start an easy deep-breathing exercise:  Sit quietly, take a deep breath, and hold it for a count of three. Breathe out, then pause for a count of three. Continue for one minute. Make sure you feel your belly rising and falling with each breath, so you know you are breathing deeply (Godman and Komaroff, 2023).
• Useful Tip: Focus on the benefits of your exercise to help you relax and feel calm. Find reasons to motivate yourself and enjoy the journey.

• Why Strength Training is Great: Strength training builds the muscles around your joints, providing better support and reducing pain over time. So, this is among the best exercises for obese women with knee pain.
• How to Start: Use light dumbbells, resistance bands, or your own body weight. Focus on controlled movements like leg lifts, wall push-ups, or seated rows.
• Useful Tip: Here, you need to move your joints in a way it will build strength and flexibility. Try not to be too hard on yourself or lift heavy weights that will worsen the pain. Target on gentle movements.

• Why Tai Chi is Great: This ancient Chinese practice combines gentle, flowing movements with deep breathing to improve balance, flexibility, and joint health. So, tai chi is one of the best low-impact workouts for joint pain that work. Hence, joint-friendly exercises for overweight women will help you
• How to Start: Look for beginner Tai Chi videos online or join a local class.
• Useful Tip: It’s basically meditation in motion with different positions. No chanting required, the target is on the gentle movement, and it effects on your joints.

Don’t just jump into exercise without staring slowly and gently. That can overwork your muscles and make your joint pain worse. While exercise is key, a few extra habits can give your joints some extra Tender Loving Care:

1. Stay Hydrated: Joints love water, it helps keep cartilage lubricated. Maintaining copious fluid intake can help your whole body to function well.
2. Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods: Eat foods that have anti-inflammatory properties such as omega-3-rich fish (like salmon), leafy greens, berries, and nuts. These foods are also great for your heart, so you need to include them in your daily diet.
3. Warm Up and Cool Down: Always ease into exercise with a warm-up to prevent stiffness, and finish with gentle stretches to keep your joints limber and flexible.
4. Listen to Your Body: Joint pain doesn’t mean “no exercise.” It means finding what works for you. If something hurts, modify it or try another activity. If you haven’t exercised in a while, start slowly. Don’t push yourself too hard and learn to consider your body needs. Exercise with slow and easy movements. If you feel pain, take a break.

Answer 1:  Yes! Low-impact options like swimming, cycling, and chair exercises are gentle enough to get you moving without making pain worse. Move joints gently at first to warm up. You might begin with range-of-motion exercises for 5 to 10 minutes before you move on to strengthening or aerobic exercises. You may apply heat with warm towels, hot packs or a shower. Heat can relax joints and muscles and lessen pain before exercise (MFMER, 2023).

Answered: Aim for 3-5 days a week of low-impact workouts. Even 10-minute sessions add up over time. You may go for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. That’s just 30 minutes a day, five days a week (American Heart Association, 2024).

Answered:  You don’t need expensive fitness equipment to maintain your joint health and flexibility. But if you want to get some, that’s okay, there are cheap ones. Remember that walking, bodyweight exercises, and free online workout videos are great starting poin

Exercise doesn’t have to feel like punishment it can be empowering, even fun. Whether you’re walking, swimming, or stretching in your living room, every step you take is one toward stronger joints, less pain, and better health.

Start small, move at your own pace and celebrate every small win (even if it’s just getting up and trying). This fitness routine may involve dancing at family weddings and chasing grandkids around the park and so on. Now, go on lace up those sneakers, and your joints and body will thank you later.

1. American Heart Association (2024). American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids. Retrieved December 28 2024, from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults
2. Godman, H and Komaroff, A.L. (2023). Easy ways to keep inflammation in check. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/easy-ways-to-keep-inflammation-in-check#
3. Ligos, L (2021). Just Keep Swimming. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://blog.insidetracker.com/just-keep-swimming
4. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, MFMER. (2023). Exercise helps ease arthritis pain and stiffness. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/in-depth/arthritis/art-20047971
5. Southeast Orthopedic Specialists (2024). Best Cardio Workouts for Knee Pain Sufferers. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://se-ortho.com/cardio-workouts-knee-pain-sufferers/

Author: Ikenna Nathan Ojiegbe. Date: 30th December, 2024.

Disclaimer:
The information is for the purpose of education only. It does not assess individual needs and does not constitute personal advice, hence, should not replace professional consultations with your health care practitioner or trainer. This information should not be used to make health related diagnoses or to treat any health problems. Consult with your health care provider before depending on any information in this article or on this website.