12 GREAT REASONS TO INCORPORATE JUMPING JACKS INTO YOUR TRAINING REGIMEN

Each branch of the military forces employs a simple bodyweight exercise to keep everyone in top physical shape – they clearly understand the value of jumping jacks! While squats, push-ups, and pull-ups all have their advantages, jumping jacks can take a workout to a whole new level.

CONTENTS

• 1. Jumping jacks improve cardiovascular fitness
• 2. Jumping jacks build leg strength
• 3. Jumping jacks are a total-body exercise
• 4. Jumping jacks burn calories

You may have not done jumping jacks in a decade or more, but this childhood favorite callisthenic exercise is not only for kids – jumping jacks provide numerous wellness benefits for adults as well. Jumping jacks are simple to do and can be done anyplace you have a foot of space, they don’t require any equipment, and they have the distinct benefit of bringing back nostalgic memories, making them feel as much like play as they do a workout. Continue reading to learn about the top benefits of jumping jacks and why you should incorporate this tried-and-true classic well-being activity into your training program.

1. JUMPING JACKS IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS

Jumping jacks raise your heart rate and respiration, putting your cardiovascular system to the test. Exercising long sets of jumping jacks and increasing the length of your sets can increase your cardiovascular fitness and endurance. To maximize your fitness gains, aim to move as quickly as you can with good form, completing the full range of motion with each jump. Begin with 30 second sets and gradually increase to several minutes or more without pausing.

2. JUMPING JACKS BUILD LEG STRENGTH

Jumping jacks improve your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, hips, calves, and shins by working all of the major muscles in your lower body. The more force and strength you build, the higher and faster you jump. Wearing a weighted vest can also help to enhance the intensity and load. Building leg strength with jumping jacks will help you improve your deadlift, squat, vertical jump, running speed, and ability to climb stairs.

3. JUMPING JACKS ARE A TOTAL-BODY EXERCISE

Nearly every major muscle in the body is recruited with jumping jacks. You’ll work your legs, arms, shoulders, chest, back, and abs. This makes jumping jacks an efficient move, simultaneously strengthening and conditioning your body.

As such, jumping jacks are an excellent exercise to incorporate into 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.

4. JUMPING JACKS BURN CALORIES

You don’t have to run a marathon or stride for an hour on an elliptical trainer to burn a lot of calories. Jumping jacks are metabolically demanding and can burn quite a few calories depending on your body weight because they activate practically every muscle. Incorporating rigorous sets of jumping jacks on a regular basis may aid in fat loss, especially when combined with a nutritious diet and a well-rounded, total-body training plan.

5. JUMPING JACKS INCREASE BONE DENSITY

Jumping jacks are a type of plyometrics or explosive jump training that involves landing on one’s feet. Jumping jacks, like other high-impact activities such as jogging, stimulate the bones to lay down new bone cells and a denser mineral matrix to withstand the stress. Increasing bone density lowers the chance of fractures, especially as you get older.

6. JUMPING JACKS IMPROVE MOBILITY

Jumping jacks put numerous of your joints through their complete range of motion – or almost so – promoting mobility. For example, your hips and shoulders abduct and adduct (move out to the side and back) in the frontal plane, a direction that is not adequately reflected in most forward-and-backward movement exercises (walking, jogging, rowing, trekking, squats, and so on). Keeping these joints mobile lessens the chance of injury and stiffness and discomfort.

7. JUMPING JACKS INCREASE HIP STRENGTH

Jumping jacks are a type of lateral training that is essential for developing an injury-resistant physique. Because the action is side to side rather than front to back, you will build different hip muscle fibers than while walking or running, which will help balance the strength around your hip joints and prevent problems.

8. JUMPING JACKS IMPROVE COORDINATION

Jumping jacks look simple enough, but they actually require a fair amount of coordination, making them great for your brain. In this way, they also improve balance and rhythm.

9. JUMPING JACKS ARE GREAT FOR HIIT WORKOUTS

Exercises that rapidly raise your heart rate and utilize several muscle groups are ideal for HIIT exercises because they can be strung together quickly for a difficult workout with little recovery. Incorporating jumping jacks into an HIIT workout is an excellent method to push your body to continue working at a high level and push past the feeling of being out of breath.

10. JUMPING JACKS CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE

Jumping jacks only require your body, so you can do them anywhere without having to visit a club or acquire a bunch of training equipment for your home gym.

11. JUMPING JACKS REDUCE STRESS

Feeling stressed at work? Roll your chair aside for a minute and bang out a set of jumping jacks. Like most exercises, jumping jacks can decrease cortisol levels and reduce stress and tension.

12. JUMPING JACKS ARE FUN

Let’s face it: it’s difficult to finish a set of jumping jacks without smiling. Maybe it’s the nostalgic memories of playground joy, or maybe it’s the surge of endorphins that comes with heart-pumping, total-body exercise, but a strong bout of jumping jacks will almost certainly raise your mood.

Jumping jacks are simple, easy, effective, and enjoyable, and they have various health benefits, so there’s no excuse not to incorporate them into your training routine on occasion.