High-Intensity, Low-Impact Training (HILIT) Is Gentle On Joints And Can Boost Your Metabolism. Here’s How To Get Started

But there’s a newer acronym in town: HILIT, or high-intensity, low-impact training. And if you’ve ever dealt with knee pain, an ankle sprain or, frankly, just wanted a good sweat without all the jumping and rebounding that tends to come with high-intensity interval training workouts, HILIT can come in handy.

Here’s more about what makes it so great—and how you can get started. 

What is HILIT?

This exercise methodology centers around high-energy output using only low-impact exercises—impact meaning the force placed on the body and joints. To understand how this concept differs from HIIT-style exercises, compare a jump lunge you’d find in HIIT class to a fast-paced alternating reverse lunge that you’d do in a HILIT workout. 

Simply put, “HILIT is just HIIT with less impact,” says physical therapist and trainer Ryan Chow, founder of Reload Physical Therapy and Fitness in New York City. For what it’s worth, traditional HIIT doesn’t have to include burpees and box jumps, but these kinds of high-impact moves have become popularized and associated with this style of workout, says Chow.

The good news is that you can take your pick. “Both [HIIT and HILIT] improve your cardio conditioning and are great for metabolic health, mood boosting, coordination, balance, mind body connecting, and strength endurance,” says Rebecca Kennedy, Peloton instructor and certified fitness trainer. You will lose some heart rate variability by going with a low-impact option, but the joint-friendliness of HILIT means the trade-off can be well worth that marginal price for many.    

The biggest benefits of HILIT

Gentle on joints

One of the biggest advantages of low-impact training of any kind is that it’s gentler on your joints—a valuable perk even if you have never had trouble with them in the past, as healthy, mobile joints are critical to ease of movement throughout everyday life. 

In fact, low-impact exercise has the ability to decrease inflammation and joint damage before arthritis, the most common joint disease, has a chance to form, according to a 2023 study in Biomolecules. And HILIT allows you to reap the benefits of an intense workout with less force, explains Yu. 

Easily accessible

Further, there isn’t a high bar for entry into HILIT, meaning you don’t need to be an expert to take advantage of this style of training, says Kennedy. “HILIT is a great way to introduce exercise to a beginner, older adults, or someone who is returning to exercise after an injury,” says Winnie Yu, a physical therapist at Bespoke Physical Therapy in New York City. 

Safe and sustainable

If you’ve ever landed wrong on your ankle during a box jump or other high-impact exercise, you know the value of injury prevention. “HILIT offers a great way to improve strength and mobility without as much risk of strain, sprains, and injury due to the greater emphasis on form rather than explosiveness in nature,” explains Yu. 

Alongside this reduced injury risk, HILIT also lowers recovery time between workouts (aka without the kind of sore where it feels difficult to sit and stand). Together, these perks make low-impact cardio a very sustainable workout that you can do regularly, says Kennedy. “I love that this type of workout can be done daily if desired, whereas HIIT only needs to be in your routine once or twice per week,” she says.  

Heart healthy 

“Since HILIT workouts are structured with periods of effort followed by periods of rest or lower intensity, it keeps your heart rate elevated throughout the workout,” explains Yu. “This challenges your cardiovascular system more and therefore helps to improve your endurance since it has generally less rest than other workout types.”

High-intensity interval training (low impact or otherwise) increases the amount of oxygen your heart is able to pump throughout your body, per the Mayo Clinic. This is otherwise known as your VO2 max, and is a measure of your heart’s health and longevity. 

Boosts metabolism

If calorie burn is what you’re after, HILIT (and HIIT for that matter) are good choices to get the biggest bang for your buck. That’s again thanks to the structure of the workout being quick bursts of high amounts of effort followed by short periods of rest. A 2022 study published in the journal eLife found that HIIT training (reminder: HIIT can become low-impact—just choose your exercises wisely) found that max-effort interval training boosts proteins found in your muscles that are responsible for the breakdown of calories. 

This also makes HILIT workouts incredibly efficient. “HILIT workouts can generally be done in a shorter amount of time than other workout types,” says Yu. “This allows the body to work through high intensity exercises to challenge the body’s ability to have more efficient muscle functioning and caloric burning.”

Improves coordination and balance

With the variety of exercises that can be programmed into HILIT sessions, you’re sure to find yourself in single-leg, rotational, and dynamic movements that require a strong core. Building strength correlates to better coordination, muscle symmetry, and overall balance. This is great anytime, but especially helpful as you age, and falls and other injuries become more risky. One 2024 study that looked at racket-sports players who performed high-intensity training found that this type of workout improved overall athletic performance, including balance and injury prevention as well as speed, strength, and endurance.

How to get started with HILIT

If you are entirely new to fitness, a minimum of six weeks of scheduled physical activity will allow you to build a cardio and strength base before jumping straight into HILIT workouts, suggests Yu.

“This type of workout is great for all fitness levels,” says Kennedy. A good starting point would be 20 to 30 minute sessions three to five times a week, she says. Intermediate exercisers can do up to six HILIT workouts a week thanks to the gentle nature of the training and low-recovery time needed between sessions, she adds. (Kennedy offers a ton of HILIT-style workouts via Peloton’s hiking boot camp or low-impact cardio classes if you’re looking for some inspiration.) 

If you’re in the gym, try hopping on a stationary bike or rowing machine, suggests Chow. Other low-impact exercises that can be used within a HILIT routine include deadlifts, squats, rows, and push-ups, he says. “People with lower body injuries might use medicine ball exercises, such as bouncing a ball against a wall with different types of throw and catch exercises,” he adds. 

Finally, remember that HILIT routines are suitable for just about anyone—not only older adults, but younger adults, and any person in need of modifications, including those who are pregnant or recovering from injuries. Just be sure to get the OK from your doctor first, says Kennedy, who adds that HILIT, for all, “is a great option to maintain endurance, coordination, balance, and strengthen the mind-body connection.”