Why Low-Impact Strength Training is the Key to Your 2026 Fitness Goals

Amanda Boike
Dec 29, 2025
3 min read

By Amanda Boike Fitness

As we roll into a new year, a lot of us are thinking the same thing: “I know I should start working out… I just don’t know where to start.” Maybe you’ve tried intense programs before, or signed up for classes that left you sore, drained, worried about your knees and back, or simply dreading going to the gym.

If you haven't been able to make your fitness routine stick, there's a different way to train in 2026: low-impact strength training. This is the way to train that helps you build real muscle, feel better in your body, and actually fits your life.

The Benefits of Low-Impact Strength Training:

1. You build muscle that makes everyday life easier

More muscle means you can carry groceries, climb stairs, travel, and do chores without feeling wiped out after.

In ABF Online, I guide you through follow-along strength workouts you can do at home in about 30 minutes. Choose 2 days/week, 3 days/week or 4 days/week based on what fits your schedule, then all you have to do is press play and follow along.

2. You get stronger without beating up your joints

You don’t need jumps, sprints, or bootcamp-style chaos to see results. In fact, those can be the very things that leave you sore, stiff, or nervous to move.

Low-impact exercises performed close to muscle failure are shown to be effective for building muscle. With controlled moves, clear cues, and alternative exercise options, like the ones found in ABF Online, you'll feel the work in your muscles, not pounding into your knees, back, or shoulders.

3. You feel taller & more balanced

Healthy posture comes from balanced engagement and coordination of the muscles in the front and back of the body. When front-body muscles are overactive and back-body muscles are under-active, it contributes to habitual slouching.

Balanced exercise programs like ABF Online work each major muscle group 1-2x per week without overworking any one area. A solid fitness routine should leave you feeling stronger, taller & balanced.

4. You no longer experience energy "crashes"

Muscle acts like a big “sponge” for sugar (glucose) in your blood. When your muscles are active and strong, they respond better to insulin, the hormone that helps move sugar from your blood into your cells. This is called insulin sensitivity- it means your body can use a small amount of insulin to move sugar where it needs to go.

Better insulin sensitivity means:

more steady energy
less sugar floating around in your blood
lower risk over time for problems like type 2 diabetes.

Strength training helps build and keep this “muscle sponge,” so your body can handle carbs and blood sugar more smoothly.

With clear coaching and cueing, the instructor in ABF Online teaches you the exact stimulus that's needed for building muscle, so you can see results down to the cellular level.

5. You start to see yourself as “someone who works out”

The biggest shift isn’t just physical. When you show up for a few short, realistic workouts each week, your identity starts to change.

Because your workouts are already laid out for you inside ABF Online, there’s no scrolling or second-guessing. All you have to do is login and press play. This makes it much easier to be consistent, even if you’ve never stuck with a program before.

A New Approach

Starting something new always comes with a little uncertainty. But rest assured, even if you haven't found a consistent rhythm before, it's still possible to find that perfect balance.

As one ABF Online member wrote,

If you’ve been waiting for the “right” kind of workout to come along (the kind that respects your body, your schedule, and your energy) this is it. Low-impact strength training lets you build real muscle, improve posture, and feel more capable in your day-to-day life, without the dread or damage. If you’re curious what that could feel like in your own body, Start your free 14-day trial of ABF Online and do just one 30-minute session this week.

No pressure to be perfect, just a chance to see how good “I work out now” can actually feel.