What is impact free running?

No impact training machines such as Octane’s Zero Runner allow you to run without causing jarring impact on your joints. Many traditional forms of exercise, such as outdoor running and cardio exercise machines feature an element of impact. Outdoor running is considered high impact while treadmills - although less pressured than road running - still require you to put pressure on your joints and limbs so are still fairly high level impact.

Although some impact is beneficial, it is important to give your body a break with impact-free exercise. Low impact exercise can be achieved with exercise bikes and rowing machines. However, you can also replicate true running motion with zero impact via cardio equipment such as the ZeroRunner from Octane Fitness, which minimises the negative effects of high impact training on the body.

Benefits of Impact Free Running and Exercise

Exercise without impact has a number of benefits to the body that you simply cannot get from running outdoors or hitting a treadmill.

• Reduces pressure on your joints: as a result, it helps to radically reduce the chance of injury from your higher impact training. Add miles, avoid injury.
• Helps condition your body: Too much pounding on the pavement or treadmill wears your body down. Zero impact exercise allows you keep your body conditioned. A great form of active recovery, you can give your joints a rest and protect your body, while still building endurance and working the same muscle groups.
• Builds endurance: as a supplement to your higher impact exercise, low or zero impact training can help you perform more effectively and efficiently. For example, if you’re an outdoor runner training for a marathon, you can supplement your outdoor training or treadmill workouts with a cardio machine such as the Zero Runner. Removing all impact, you can train more without the stress on your body – but achieve better results.
• Increases overall strength: low or zero impact exercise is a great way to engage your core and condition all muscle groups. This conditioning helps to strengthen your body, rather than wear it down so you can achieve heavier training in the future.
• Same results as higher impact workouts: No impact exercise will still provide improved cardiovascular ability, metabolism, muscular strength and vitality.
• Ideal for all abilities: Due to the lack of pressure on your body’s joints, no impact exercise can be enjoyed by all fitness abilities. Whether you’re new to exercise, recovering form injury or a seasoned marathon-runner, no impact exercise is of benefit to you.