5 Low-Impact Outdoor Activities for This Summer

Those that experience symptoms of joint pain are often forced to decrease their activity levels in order to avoid aggravating a particular joint. With summer in full swing, there are sure to be many days on which you will want to be outside engaging in your favorite activities.

Stay active this summer without worsening your joint pain with these low impact outdoor activities.

Knees

It may seem counter intuitive, but cycling is one of the best possible activities to engage in for your knees. Many would assume that cycling would irritate the knee since this type of movement is very repetitive, but in fact cycling does not put any direct strain on the knee. Instead, cycling targets the quadriceps and hamstrings, which work to support the knee joints.

Another excellent low-impact activity to try is swimming. The water helps to reduce pressure on your joints, which allows you added mobility without sacrificing comfort. This particular activity is also ideal for those that experience similar pains such as those from arthritis, fibromyalgia, and osteoporosis.

Shoulders

Long walks or even modest hiking is a great way to stay active even while living with joint pain in your shoulder. Walking and hiking both primarily affect your legs or knees, and so they do little to provoke shoulder pain.

Golfing is another popular activity that people with shoulder pain often enjoy. To be clear, you need to be executing your golf swing in proper form, otherwise you could still be contributing to your joint pain.

Hips

For those that experience hip pain, even the simplest of tasks can cause severe pain. However, regular movement is suggested in order to help lubricate and nourish the joint surfaces, which is why you should try as hard as possible to remain moderately active while living with hip pain.

Kayaking or canoeing can help to alleviate pressure on your hips while still giving your core and your arms an intense workout. It is of course recommended to keep these rowing activities light in order to avoid straining your hip or other area of the body.