If you’ve been feeling sore after your workouts, you’re definitely not alone. After all, more and more people are starting to notice the impact that intense exercise can have on their bodies. Thankfully, the fitness world is paying attention.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently released its 2026 Worldwide Fitness Trends report, which is now in its 20th edition. This report is based on a survey of around 2,000 fitness professionals from all over the globe and what’s interesting is that low-impact workouts, easier on the joints, are becoming increasingly popular. This includes things like gentle cardio and programs geared toward active older adults. For instance, PureGym’s data shows that more people are interested in low-impact exercises, particularly traditional options like “walking yoga,”. In fact, search interest in walking yoga increased by a jaw-dropping 2,414%.
It seems that many in the industry are finally catching on to what swimmers have understood for years: exercising in the water offers results without the extra strain on your body.
People are turning to low-impact training partly because high-impact exercises can lead to injuries, which often sideline individuals for weeks at a time. For the third year in a row, ACSM named programs designed for older adults and low-impact cardio workouts among their top priorities. This trend is reflected in places like Singapore, where many adults are opting for gentle training that prioritizes recovery instead of pushing for personal bests that often come at the cost of their well-being.
Essentially, low-impact activities put less strain on your joints compared to high-impact ones. For example,
This distinction is particularly important for the knees, hips, and lower back because these areas are commonly affected by repetitive high-impact workouts.
Water can significantly lighten the load on your joints. Depending on how deep you are, water can take away anywhere from 50% to 90% of your body weight. For example, standing in waist-deep water reduces joint stress by about 50%. If you’re chest-deep, that impact drops to around 75%, and being neck-deep, which is where most swimmers train, can support up to 90% of your body weight.
Some studies have even measured these effects directly in patients with hip and knee implants, showing that joint stress in water can be reduced by 36% to 55% compared to moving on land. This isn’t just marketing hype. It’s real data!
To give you a better idea, here’s how swimming compares with other popular exercises when it comes to joint impact and workout efficiency:
High impact on the joints, mainly the lower body, with a high risk of injury.
Low-moderate impact, focused on the lower body, moderate risk of injuries like lower back and wrist issues.
Low impact, emphasizes core stability, lower intensity, minimal injury risk.
The lowest impact on joints, engages the entire body, high cardio intensity, and the lowest risk of injury.
Swimming stands out as the only option that combines minimal joint strain with full-body engagement and genuine cardiovascular benefits.
At Swimwerks, we believe that fitness should enhance your body rather than exhaust it. Based on 2026 trend data, we design our adult and youth programs with this idea in mind. Our coaches focus on technique, the right amount of drills, and progression to help protect vital areas like your shoulders, knees, and back, while still improving your cardio and strength.
We see low-impact training not as a backup plan for those unable to pursue high-impact activities but as a smarter, long-term choice, much like elite swimmers and health professionals have known for years. If your current exercise routine is leaving you feeling more pain than gain, our team is here to help create a program tailored to your specific needs and goals.
Swimming puts almost no pressure on your knees and hips, while running subjects you to forces two to three times your body weight every time you hit the ground.
Yes indeed! Swimming works out multiple muscle groups simultaneously, and a vigorous session can burn as many, or even more calories than running at a comparable effort.
Yes, it’s often recommended by physical therapists because the water provides support, making it gentle on the joints.
Generally, swimming about three times a week for 30 to 45 minutes can lead to meaningful improvements in both cardiovascular endurance and strength, but your specific routine can be adjusted according to individual goals and joint considerations.
Not at all! Swimwerks offers beginner-friendly pathways that prioritize building your confidence and technique before ramping up intensity, so you don’t need to have prior swimming skills to get started.
San Htar is the SEO Specialist at Swimwerks Singapore, where she manages SEO and content strategy. With several years of experience in digital marketing across Southeast Asia, she has worked across SEO, paid media, and content for businesses in multiple industries. At Swimwerks, she focuses on creating content that helps people in Singapore can actually find the information they need when looking for swimming lessons for their kids and adults. Swimwerks is one of Singapore’s trusted swimming schools, with over 6 years of experience, more than 1,000 students coached, and a presence across 30 locations island-wide, from ActiveSG pools to condominiums across Singapore.
