4 Running Substitutes For Athletes With Sore Knees

Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to run 5 km every morning to be considered a “fit person”. Really, you don’t have to run at all! Especially if it causes you undue pain in your knees, shins, or back.

While running is a fantastic cardio workout, it is a high-impact activity that puts quite a bit of stress on your joints. There are numerous other ways to get your full body moving, heart beating faster, blood running quicker, and breath harder to catch that doesn’t involve doing laps around your neighborhood.

Today we’re sharing 4 different exercises that will add cardio to your workouts, without forcing you to do an exercise that you know cause unnecessary joint soreness.

1. Battle Ropes

Battle ropes allow you to sweat like CRAZY, while keeping your feet on the ground – i.e. no lifting then pounding against a hard surface. This is much easier on the knees than running, while still providing awesome cardio-vascular benefits. You can switch up your battle rope swings, cadence, and snaps to also keep things interesting, varied, and INTENSE!

2. Jump Ropes

Jumping will get your heart pumping, lungs burning, and calories burning! Although it does involve jumping/hopping and that can impact your joints, it is less pounding than running. Our jump ropes are also great for double unders, which challenge your body to move quickly and in synchronicity.

3. Swimming

Swimming is awesome for days you want to keep cool while working your butt off! Swimming is one of the lowest impact cardio activities you can find since your body doesn’t pound against anything solid to move forward/backward. Swimming can vary in intensity from moderate to high, depending on whether you’re going to an aquarobics class or swimming laps.

4. Rowing

Rowing allows you to move your whole body, while keeping your feet in the same spot and relieving your legs from bearing all the weight of your body. While this movement still requires your knees to bend and move – which might aggravate some knee issues – your arms are also taking part and doing a lot of work! Which also means you are gaining a gorgeous gluteus, back, and arm muscles all at once!