Why You Should Be Doing Jumping Jacks Today And How To Start
Any home workout is a blessing these days
and here’s a simple exercise anyone can easily do anywhere, without any
special equipment: jumping jacks. While you may not have given them a
thought since your school days, jumping jacks have several health
benefits like mobility, increased blood flow, training in the frontal
plane, and overall joint motion.
Practicing them in adulthood is strongly
advised by health and sports experts and is safe for older adults as
long as it’s done correctly. Read on to find out about the important
benefits of jumping jacks and how you can properly fit them into your
fitness routine.
The major health benefits of jumping jacks
1. Full Body Workout
Jumping jacks are a plyometric aerobic
exercise, which means they increase speed, quickness, and power by
moving your whole body. Most plyometric exercises include jumping so
your muscles exert the most effort and force in short bursts of time.
As you jump, you’re working against the force of gravity and use the
weight of your body for resistance. The constant repetition of the moves
increases your heart rate, which in turn, increases the amount of blood
and oxygen that reaches the muscles. By combining strength work with
stamina jumping jacks incorporate your entire body.
2. Improves Heart Health
Jumping jacks elevate your heart rate and
this improves cardiovascular fitness. A 2006 study examined the
improvement of cardiovascular health in obese men who took part in a
4-week high-intensity training program, which included jumping jacks.
The participants saw improvements in their resting heart rate, blood
pressure, cholesterol, and body fat levels. The improvement was
comparable to that of men in much longer-duration circuit, resistance
training, and aerobic exercise programs.
The intensity of jumping jacks makes them an efficient boost for heart
health, however, they should be mixed in with another conditioning
exercise, according to Jonathan Mike, a professor of exercise science
and sports performance at Grand Canyon University in Arizona. As jumping
jacks alone are not sustainable for a long duration, you can
incorporate them with a cardio workout like cycling.
3. May Strengthen Bones
Like many other jumping exercises jumping jacks were found to be
beneficial for bone health. As you perform each jumping jack, the
muscles actually pull at the bones of the body which strengthens the
bones and increases their density.
We tend to lose bone density as we age, so improving it is extremely
important. If the loss is significant, osteoporosis, a disease that
weakens bones and makes them more likely to break, can occur. Jumping
jack help mitigate this loss and can reduce the risk of osteoporosis
later in life.
How to perform jumping jacks correctly
1. Stand up starting with your arm down by your sides.
2. Bend your knees slightly and jump up.
3. As you jump, spread your legs to about shoulder-width apart and
stretch your arms out and over your head, so they almost clap together.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat.
If you feel like jumping up and down is putting too much pressure on
your joints and isn’t physically possible for you, you may try this
modified version of jumping jacks:
1. Start by standing up straight with your feet together and your arms
at your sides.
2. Raise your arms up over your head and extend your right foot to the
side. Return to the starting position.
3. Bring your arms back to your sides, then raise them up again and
extend your left foot to the side.
4. Repeat this motion, alternating feet each time you raise your arms
overhead.
In conclusion, adding jumping jacks to your cardio routine is very easy
and beneficial to your heart fitness and overall health. Start with two
sets of 10 jumping jacks, and eventually, you'll be able to work your
way up to more as you gain stamina and strength. It’s best to alternate
days so you give your muscles a chance to recover. Another safety tips
to remember are to jump on a flat even surface, wear supportive athletic
shoes, and listen to your body - stop if you experience any kind of
pain.