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While you are running, each stride you take has equivalent pressure of about three times your body weight on your knees. The stress of running multiplies once again if you are doing so in a harsh weather environment. This goes for hot and humid climates where there is the risk of dehydration and heat stroke, along with cold climates where the cold air can dry you out quickly and icy roads and sidewalks become a concern.

Luckily, running is not necessary for a good workout. Without running, you will still need to find ways to work out your legs. Walking is decent for exercise, but it is not particularly good for weight loss or muscle toning unless you are walking at a high pace. Elliptical machines are far more effective both for working the lower body and providing aerobic exercise. Elliptical machines can work all the same muscles that are used while running, but they put far less strain on the knees.

Biking, whether by using a regular bike or a stationary bike, can provide an excellent lower body workout at the intensity level of your choice. Also, like the elliptical machine, biking does not put much strain on the joints, which makes it a popular choice for people rehabbing from lower body injuries.

One way to work the muscles in your legs without using a machine is an exercise called a wall slide. You begin by standing with your back against a flat wall. Slide your back down the wall and walk your feet outward until you are almost in a sitting position. You should be bent at somewhere between a 45 and 90 degree angle at both the knees and at the hip. You will feel the burn in your muscles immediately. You can do wall slides in timed intervals or hold it for as long as you can. This exercise focuses on the thighs and also works the calves.

To focus on more of a full body workout, weight training for endurance is a great way to both lose weight and tone muscle. Bench presses and pushups work the chest, shoulders, and triceps (the back of the upper arm). Chin ups also work the back, shoulders, and triceps very well. Curls are the best workout for the biceps (the front of the upper arm). Sit ups serve as your basic abs workout.

When using weights, there are two ways to attack a workout. When lifting with a focus on fat loss and muscle toning, use less weight and perform more repetitions. When lifting with a focus on muscle gain, use more weight and fewer repetitions.

If you find basic exercises to be boring, play a sport. Tennis, baseball, and swimming (depending on your level of activity) are good for a lower impact sport that most people can do. For something more intense, basketball or floor hockey can be exciting, effective, high activity workouts that do not require much equipment.

While high impact workouts like running are good for some, they are not for everyone. Low-impact exercises like biking, elliptical exercise, and walking can provide the same benefits without the high level of joint strain running can cause.

Learn more about this author, Art Vandelay.
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