Pop Sugar reports on the benefits of low impact workouts according to experts including Pamela Geisel, MS, MBA, CSCS, PCES, RRCA, run coach, and exercise physiologist at HSS.  Geisel defines low-impact workouts "as exercise that has low load on the musculoskeletal system, often represented by activities that are not full weight bearing — think swimming, cycling, Pilates." An easy way to tell if something's low impact: exercises that have at least one foot on the ground at all times usually are. So jumping jacks aren't low impact; but alternating step-outs are.

While people tend to think of low impact as synonymous with "easy," that's not the case. "Low-impact should not be confused with low-intensity," Geisel said. Low-impact exercise can be performed at a variety of intensities. For instance, cycling classes and cozy cardio are both low-impact workouts, performed at different intensities.

Read the full article at popsugar.com.