Low-impact workouts have been part of our routines for decades, from Pilates to tai chi to stability and core strength exercises like planks and bridges, but a recent flurry of fitness studios and classes specifically geared toward giving clients a low-impact workout have been popping up across the country and gaining momentum. Locally, Pvolve, the fitness franchise that pairs functional movement with resistance equipment, opened in Darien, CT, and Pleasantville, NY, just in the last year and the brand plans to expand further. Formula x Meredith, the Hamptons based studio specializing in strength and agility training formulated by former ballet master Meredith Shumway, expanded to Manhattan and New Canaan in the last year. Clients of all ages at The Fit Co., founded by Manhattanite Laura Kovall, frequently inquire about low-impact workouts and strength training as a way to get fit without straining joints or causing back pain. Fitness should be accessible, argues Kovall and one of the benefits of low-impact workouts is that anyone can do them at any age or skill level.
The Draw
“I personally had never taken a class like this before, where I literally felt like it hit 360 degrees of mind and body in the best way,” says Carolynn Scull, trainer for the new outpost of The Formula x Meredith. Scull fell in love with the workout and now offers the formula through classes at Halo Fitness via The Fitness Collective in New Canaan. During the summer, you can find her at Halo Fitness, pop-up events throughout Fairfield County, CT, and at The Formula’s Hamptons studio. The workout, formulated by Shumway, takes clients through a series of beat-driven routines that are never the same but are formulated to offer your body the same strength and agility training with light resistance, weights, core exercises, mat work, a leg series and stretching. You leave “feeling like you got a killer workout, but not feeling like you hurt your body,” adds Scull, a former cheerleader who has been teaching fitness for more than a decade and has taught hot yoga, cycling and strength training before coming to The Formula.
The Benefits
“Low impact doesn’t mean low intensity,” says Katie Dailey, owner of the Pleasantville location of Pvolve. “It’s a very challenging workout but you’re not putting the additional stress on the joints.” She turned to low-impact workouts after having children as a way to strengthen her body without hurting her joints and stabilize her core. “I’m in my early 40s now. In my 20s, CrossFit was really popular, distance running was really popular, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts and really as much cardio as you could pound into your body,” adds Dailey, a two-time marathoner. “Now you go to birthday parties and you start talking to other women and we are all saying, ‘I just want to not have pain,’ or ‘What can I do to increase strength, but not hurt myself and my pelvic floor?’”
Through Pvolve, Dailey helps clients build strength, improve balance, align the body and increase muscle mass. The workouts are not only for immediate fitness but long-term health and wellness as she and her clients age. Her core demographic in Pleasantville are clients in their 30s to 60s but clients as young as 20 come to her classes and some clients are older. Many are mother-daughter duos attending the class together. “A lot of the women are loving the weights class because it is really just increasing and targeting lean muscle mass growth,” says Dailey. “We encourage men to come, too. Men are shocked at how intense the workout is.”
Classes at Pvolve are designed to be high touch so instructors can correct form and ensure students are doing the exercises correctly. She said at Pvolve, clients can arrive a few minutes before class to get one-on-one advice and instruction from trainers or discuss existing injuries before getting started.
Before You Go
Doing a low-impact workout incorrectly is one of the risks Kovall warns about. “Any exercise can be risky,” says Kovall, noting that the phrase “low-impact” can mislead some clients into thinking low risk means no risk. She recommends clients, if they can, start with a class or a couple of classes that are private to start so they get one-on-one instruction on how to move their bodies and position them for each exercise. If you can’t, opt for group instruction with a small class size. Classes at The Fit Co., contain up to 12 students so instruction can be more personalized. The Fit Co., has more than 20 classes and 8 or nine trainers available to schedule private appointments in addition to full gym access 24/7 for those who want it. She advises clients who want to pursue low-impact workouts not to walk away from cardio all together. “You really have to do everything: you need HIIT, you need cardio, you need strength. You need it all.”
To see the benefits, give it time, advises Dailey. One to two workouts a week for six to eight weights should start to give you visible results in strength, mobility and stability, she adds. Most importantly, she says, remember the benefit of low-impact workouts is the long-term health your body can gain from that type of exercise. But the surge in low-impact workouts is a testament to their appeal to a broad audience.
“It is all-encompassing,” says Scull. “I think that the average person who is trying to better their wellness routine is seeking a well-rounded and holistic approach, and I think that low-impact is the perfect fit.”
