In this way, they also improve balance and rhythm. Jumping jacks look simple enough, but they actually require a fair amount of coordination, making them great for your brain. ![]() Because the motion is side to side rather than front to back, you’ll strengthen different hip muscle fibers than those used for walking or running, helping balance the strength around your hip joints, which can prevent injuries. Jumping jacks are a form of lateral training, which is an important component in building an injury-resistant body. Maintaining mobility in these joints minimizes the risk of injury and reduces stiffness and discomfort. For example, your hips and shoulders both abduct and adduct (move out to the side and back) in the frontal plane, a direction not well represented in most exercises that involve forward-and-backward movement (walking, running, rowing, hiking, squats, etc.). Jumping jacks move several of your joints through their full range of motion - or nearly so - which promotes mobility. Increasing bone density reduces the risk of fractures, particularly as you age. Much like other high-impact activities such as running, jumping jacks stimulate the bones to lay down new bone cells and a denser matrix of minerals to withstand the stress. Jumping jacks are a form of plyometrics or explosive jump training that involves impact landing. Regularly incorporating vigorous sets of jumping jacks may support fat loss, especially when coupled with a healthy diet and a well-rounded, total-body workout routine. Because jumping jacks involve nearly every muscle, they are metabolically demanding and can burn quite a few calories, depending on your body weight. You don’t have to run a marathon or stride along on an elliptical trainer for an hour to torch a significant number of calories. As such, jumping jacks are an excellent exercise to incorporate in a warmup routine because they get your heart rate up, increase circulation to muscles and connective tissues to prepare them for more demanding exercise, and act as a form of dynamic stretching of the hips, shoulders, and back. This makes jumping jacks an efficient move, simultaneously strengthening and conditioning your body. You’ll work your legs, arms, shoulders, chest, back, and abs. Nearly every major muscle in the body is recruited with jumping jacks. Building leg strength through jumping jacks can translate to other exercises, improving your squat, deadlift, vertical jump, running speed, and ability to climb stairs. You can also wear a weighted vest to increase the intensity and load. The higher and faster you jump, the more power and strength you’ll develop. ![]() ![]() Jumping jacks work all the major muscles in the lower body, strengthening your glutes, hamstrings, quads, hips, calves, and shins. Start with sets of 30 seconds and build up to several minutes or more without stopping. Aim to move as fast as you can with good form, completing the full range of motion with each jump to maximize your fitness gains. Completing extended sets of jumping jacks, and progressing the duration of your sets, will improve your aerobic fitness and endurance. Jumping jacks increase heart rate and respiration, challenging your cardiovascular system. Jumping Jacks Improve Cardiovascular Fitness Jumping Jacks Are Great for HIIT Workoutsġ. Perfect your technique before cranking up your reps.Īnd remember: Challenging yourself is one thing - hurting yourself is another. ![]() If you’re leaning too far forward, you could injure your knees or spine.įYI: Keep in mind that 5 perfect squats with proper form are better than 10 struggle-city jump squats. As with regular squats, your knees shouldn’t move in front of your toes while you’re getting low. Even if you don’t feel it right away, you might endure some achy, breaky joints the next day. To reduce stress on your joints, you’ll want to make like a feline and land super softly on your feet. Instead, focus on powering the move with your hamstrings and glutes. This can strain your muscles and potentially injure your knees. Don’t be tempted to propel up using your knees. Here’s how to avoid the most common ones when it comes to jump squats: Hannah Montana was right - everybody makes mistakes.
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