There is a lot of evidence that high impact sports like running actually improve joint health. Especially if they practice appropriate resting and nutrition. I suspect that a lot of the injuries we associate with high impact activities are from people who have lost conditioning from inactivity, attempting to resume exercise without knowing their new limits.

https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/fitness/is-runnin...

same idea as building a callous on your hands or feet. lots of use tends to toughen your joints.

Try taking a look at high intensity resistance training. It's the weight lifting equivalent to high intensity interval training. It's very effective, and it's low impact relative to the amount of time spent exercising.