Hit the Pool

Because it's done in water, many people believe that shallow-water aerobics is a low-impact exercise. While the impact is less in the water than if you did the same aerobic movements on land, there still is enough for you to jar joints. If avoiding impact is an issue, better water choices are lap swimming, deep-water group exercise classes, and aqua jogging. The last two activities are done while wearing flotation belts in water deep enough that feet never touch the bottom. Still devoted to shallow-water aerobics? Invest in a pair of aqua sneakers to help reduce impact.