Low-Impact Strength Training, Essential Advice From Rebecca Kennedy

Rebecca Kennedy Says Low-Impact Strength Training Isn’t About Going Easy

Low-impact strength training is having a moment, and Peloton instructor Rebecca Kennedy says the shift away from constant high-intensity workouts is about longevity, not laziness. In a new interview with PopSugar Australia, Kennedy broke down the difference between impact and intensity, and why that distinction matters for anyone trying to build a fitness routine that actually lasts.

According to Kennedy, the two terms get confused often, but they describe different things entirely. Impact refers to the force placed on the body and joints, while intensity refers to how hard the muscles, cardiovascular system, and mind are working. A workout can be low impact and still be demanding. As Kennedy put it, a session “can still be low impact and be intense.”

What Is Low-Impact Strength Training?

Kennedy’s definition is straightforward. Strength training, by its nature, tends to already be low impact. The broader category also includes walking, Pilates, barre, hiking, cycling, and mobility work, all methods that build strength and stamina without hammering the joints. Low-impact strength training doesn’t mean low effort or low intensity, Kennedy said. It means members can challenge themselves, build strength, and improve fitness without putting their bodies “through the wringer every time.” Kennedy has made a similar case on Peloton’s own blog, where she describes low-impact training as gentle on the body but still demanding on the muscles and cardiovascular system.

Why Low-Impact Strength Training Is Gaining Ground

For years, workout culture ran on a “no pain, no gain” mentality, Kennedy said, where every session was expected to be the hardest one yet, leaving people drenched in sweat and running on the idea that more was always better. For a lot of members, that approach led to burnout, chronic fatigue, or injury.

Kennedy said both research and instructor experience have since shown a workout doesn’t need to beat up the body to be effective. Members can still train hard, but the emphasis now is on balancing intensity with recovery, managing fatigue, and choosing routines that hold up over months and years rather than weeks.

How Popular Is HiLit Right Now?

The interest Kennedy is describing shows up in Peloton’s own numbers. According to the company’s Q3 FY2026 earnings report, released May 7, Pilates workouts grew 48% year-over-year, a jump Peloton attributed in part to Kennedy’s HiLit Training Plan. The program drew 400,000 members in a single quarter, out of a paid connected fitness subscriber base of 2.662 million, meaning roughly 15% of paying members took part in one structured plan. The Clip Out broke down what that surge means for Peloton’s broader engagement strategy when the earnings numbers came out.

How to Start Low-Impact Strength Training on Peloton

Kennedy points members toward Peloton’s HiLit and HiLit+ programming as a practical entry point into low-impact strength training. Both run five days a week and combine strength, conditioning, Pilates, mobility, and recovery work. The Clip Out has already mapped out the full HiLit+ seven-week schedule for members building out their own plan. Kennedy said the real difference between the two programs comes down to what equipment a member has access to and how they personally prefer to train, not the results either one delivers.

Members looking to pair strength work with cardio can also find Kennedy’s Low Impact Cardio collection on the Peloton platform, part of the same low-impact philosophy applied to conditioning work.

Low-impact strength training isn’t positioned to replace every hard effort a member logs, and Kennedy isn’t suggesting it should. But as more people look for ways to train consistently without breaking their bodies down in the process, and as HiLit’s own numbers show, Peloton’s programming is giving that philosophy an actual home on the platform.

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