Jumping Jack (Jumping with arms and legs): detailed overview of the exercise + 10 execution options

Jumping Jack is an exercise that involves jumping while simultaneously spreading your arms and legs. Jumping Jack is probably the most popular cardio exercise: it is very often included in aerobic and interval training. This article will discuss the benefits, effectiveness, features of the correct technique of jumping jacks, as well as options for performing this exercise for beginners and advanced practitioners.

Tips for beginners

Those who are just starting to master Jumping Jack jumps should take note of several useful recommendations:

• For beginners, it is enough to perform 10-15 repetitions in 2-3 approaches.
• While practicing, try to stick to the same pace. Don't be afraid to get lost, just stop and start again.
• To maintain the desired rhythm, you should turn on dynamic music. It not only helps to avoid desynchronization in movements, but also improves your mood.
• If you feel that the pace has become too fast, you need to gradually reduce it.
• Your back should always be kept straight.
• If you have problems maintaining balance, you need to point your toes slightly to the side. This will make the situation more stable.
• The break between sets should not last more than a minute. Otherwise, efficiency will be significantly reduced.
• Before jumping, be sure to do a joint warm-up. Legs and arms need to be prepared for increasing stress.
• Don't exercise on a full stomach. You should exercise at least an hour after eating.
• Choose appropriate shoes and clothing for your workout. Things should be comfortable.
• Immediately after JJ jumps, you should not stop suddenly. Do not lie down or sit down. It is better to take a leisurely walk to restore your heartbeat and breathing.

Jumping is an exercise from childhood

The jumping jack is an exercise that everyone knows, but not everyone does it. Perhaps the fact that children are already trying to get to know him in kindergarten means that we do not take these exercises seriously. Meanwhile, fast and technically correct jumps can cause shortness of breath; after all, jumping jacks are aerobic exercises that require a lot of energy. We must also remember that they not only often appear in the warm-up plan before classes in fitness clubs, but are also part of circuit training or in people who practice gymnastics. Moreover, bouncing vigorously while doing the exercise is a good way to burn a lot of calories.

This exercise works different muscle groups: the shoulder, gluteal and abductor muscles in the hip joint, arms, back and legs. This exercise speeds up your heart rate, which means it improves blood flow to your muscles, and as part of your warm-up, minimizes the risk of injury and soreness.

What are the benefits and health benefits?

Everyone who has tried Jumping describes the feeling of delight from “jumping” exercises. Regardless of age, trampoline activities bring great pleasure and cause emotional uplift. Moreover, sore throat is extremely rare! And fitness jumping has enormous benefits for the body:

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• Burning calories, body shaping, preventing cellulite. The muscles of the thighs, legs, abdomen, buttocks are worked out and strengthened, and the elasticity of the skin increases after losing excess weight.
• Developing general endurance, fighting depression, gaining joint flexibility, and developing beautiful posture.
• Vestibular apparatus training. Jumping activates the activity of stabilizer muscles, which are almost not involved in other types of fitness. Jumping on a trampoline is recommended for the formation and consolidation of various skills (balance, coordination of movements) necessary in team sports, martial arts, and flight training.
• Strengthening the circulatory system, lymph flow, metabolism, etc.

About 400 muscles are used when jumping on a trampoline. Such exercises are 2 times more useful and effective than, for example, walking or gymnastics.

How to lose weight by exercising on a trampoline?

To begin with, let’s rejoice: losing extra pounds by training on fitness trampolines is quite possible. During an hour-long workout, on average, an athlete spends about 800 kcal. It is recommended to exercise regularly - 2-3 times a week, taking a break of one day - to restore the body. At first, beginners should limit the lesson time to half an hour. Even this will be enough for your body to start the fat burning process. However, there are several conditions without which all efforts aimed at losing weight will be in vain:

1. Watch your diet. You need to create a calorie deficit so that the body begins to use fat reserves. Eat more protein foods, limit the amount of carbohydrates, and do not forget about the necessary portions of fat. Drink enough water. Try not to overeat before bed.
2. Additionally, add strength training. Firstly, to maintain normal muscle mass, and secondly, to speed up the process of burning calories. If you want to speed up the process of losing weight, do strength intervals and lift weights.

Jumping jack technique

1. Stand straight with your feet together (if stability is not enough, you can place your feet hip-width apart). Lower your arms freely along your body.
2. Exhale and jump with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart while raising your arms above your head. When lifting, your arms should be bent at the elbow joints. Jumps are performed gently on slightly bent knees, landing on your toes.
3. As you inhale, jump back to the starting position - lower your arms along your body and bring your feet together.
4. The abdominal muscles should be tense.
5. Repeat the movements as many times as necessary.

Variations of the exercise

These exercise options allow you to diversify your training and complicate the movement. In addition, they put more stress on the muscles.

Squat Jumps

The movement focuses on the buttocks and thighs, and allows you to load the buttocks more than the standard version of the exercise.

1. Stand straight, spread your toes to the sides, heels hip-width apart;
2. Collect your back, tense your arms, take a deep breath, lower yourself into a half-squat and jump your legs to the sides as you exhale;
3. Swing your arms upward;
4. As you exhale, jump inward and bring your arms to your sides;
5. Repeat;
6. Do not straighten your knees throughout the exercise. You can do a straightening variation with each repetition, but it will be even more energy-consuming
7. In this variation of the jumping jack, you can move your arms in front of you.

Jumping with dumbbells

This variation of the movement can be either with the arms brought together behind the head or in front of the chest. Allows you to additionally load the muscles of the arms and chest, and get a beautiful relief.

It's done like this:

• take light dumbbells in your hands, slightly bend your elbows, and tilt your body forward;
• jump as usual, spreading and closing your legs, but swing your arms like a dumbbell swing for deltoids, that is, until your forearms are parallel to the floor;
• as you exhale, jump and lift the dumbbells, while inhaling, return to the starting position;
• repeat as many times as necessary

Jumping with an elastic band for fitness

A variation of jumping with an expander increases the load on the hip abductor muscles and buttocks. This version is intended for those who are trying to simultaneously pump up their buttocks and lose excess weight:

1. select an expander of the required resistance;
2. perform a regular jumping jack, jumping your feet to the sides, and swinging your arms together;
3. try to work so that your feet do not collide.

Exercises. Jumping Jack

How many calories does Jumping Jack burn?

In 1 minute of such jumps you will burn 5 kilocalories. Performing a difficult version of Jumpin Jack, you will burn 9 kilocalories per minute.

If you are planning to lose weight, supplement this jumping exercise with strength training to tone your body.

Jumping Jack can be performed both as a warm-up before a workout, as it helps to quickly speed up the heart rate and warm up the muscles, and as the main part of it.

The exercise is also actively used in CrossFit, which indicates its high intensity and effectiveness.

Contraindications

Even the simplest and safest exercise can cause harm to individuals. It is worth understanding that jumpin jack is no exception:

1. The exercise should not be performed by pregnant women. The exception is the version with steps and arm swings. It should be taken throughout pregnancy, but jumping should be avoided, as this can cause placental abruption;
2. joint diseases. Inflammatory processes can worsen if you abuse shock loads;
3. problems of the heart and blood vessels. Hypertensive patients should not jump in the acute stage, as such exercises increase the load on the cardiovascular system and blood pressure;
4. exacerbation of chronic diseases of the intestines, pelvic organs, etc. Inflammatory processes also worsen during increased aerobic activity;
5. heel spurs - jumping is not recommended for them; you can do a variation with steps, but you will need orthopedic insoles.

Important: any exercise is beneficial in moderation. There are people who try to burn off excess food with a large number of jumping jacks. This should not be done, especially if losing weight is a long-term priority.

Who should not perform Jumping Jack?

Jumping exercise is prohibited:

• Pregnant;
• People with problems with the spine, especially in the presence of hernias and protrusions;
• People with joint diseases;
• People suffering from cardiovascular diseases;
• For varicose veins;
• If you are overweight.

The Jumping Jack exercise involves several muscle groups at once: biceps and quadriceps femoris, gluteus maximus, hip adductors, calf muscles, deltoid and latissimus dorsi, abdominal muscles.

Rules for jumping training for weight loss

Active trampoline jumping is performed to the accompaniment of energetic music. The trainer demonstrates the technique. It is important to monitor the correct execution of the elements and your own well-being, so as not to encounter injuries. You need to jump right in the center of the projectile. You need to land with your entire foot, not on your toes, to make the load even.

Any activity involving jumping should begin with a good warm-up. The body should be prepared - stretch the muscles, warm up well, do several stretching exercises. There is no need to abruptly stop the activity. If you feel unwell or dizzy, you must immediately inform the instructor, catch your breath, and walk around for a while to normalize your heart function.

Jumping on a trampoline does not put a high load on the joints and spine, so you can practice fitness using weight loss equipment with virtually no restrictions. It is believed that jumping is less traumatic compared to running, crossfit, and other popular types of exercise.

Jumping fitness has a minimum of contraindications:

• Phlebeurysm.
• Hypertension.
• Bronchial asthma.
• Osteoporosis.
• Epilepsy.

In order not to harm your health, if you have any doubts, you should first consult with your doctor or trainer. You may have to postpone classes if you have recently suffered an injury or surgery, have problems with the vestibular system, or have chronic diseases.

It is important! To lose weight by jumping on a trampoline, you must adhere to the principle of regular training. Classes will bring maximum effect if you combine jumping fitness with strength training or other types of physical activity. You definitely need to review your diet and create a calorie deficit to lose weight.

Basic jumping fitness exercises

Jumping fitness involves quite serious physical activity, so before classes you need to do a 10-minute warm-up to warm up your muscles. A classic workout lasts 50-60 minutes, of which half an hour is spent on cardio exercises, and the rest of the time on strength training and stretching. Among the basic exercises, the most common are jumping:

• With arms extended along the body. You need to jump at a low height, and when landing, place your foot completely on the trampoline, without using your hands to help maintain balance.
• With one leg abducted. The jump is performed with one supporting leg, slightly bent at the knee. The other leg is straight and pointed to the other side.
• From a sitting position. You need to sit down on the trampoline, lean your hands behind you and jump out with a straight back (you are allowed to lean forward a little).

You can pull your bent knees to your chest. To do this, you need to hold on to the handle and alternately raise your legs to your chest. Experienced jumpers are allowed to experiment and do fitness jumps from a position on all fours. At the same time, you need to spread your arms and legs in the air, and land on your stomach (this is safe and does not hurt).

Completing any jumping fitness program on trampolines does not impose strict clothing requirements. It is recommended to use comfortable tracksuits or leggings with T-shirts, tank tops, and wear sneakers on your feet. The main thing is that the sports kit does not hinder movement, and that the material has “breathable” properties. One hour of intense exercise will burn 500-800 calories, so women's fitness clothing should wick moisture well. Replace boring workouts with fitness jumping, lose weight and have fun!

Why do it?

This action does not have many analogues; the closest would be jumping rope. Jumping Jack will not cause muscle growth, nor will it have any effect on strength gains. Its task is to train the cardiovascular system and burn calories. Energy consumption depends on the intensity; with a weight of 70 kg, a person will spend about 150 kcal in 30 minutes of exercise at moderate intensity, and about 270 kcal at high intensity.

Energy consumption is high, so long-term exercise requires good preparation, but it is precisely this high energy consumption that allows you to lose excess weight. At first it will be difficult to do the exercise; there is no need to rush to increase the load.

It is better to move at a moderate pace, if necessary, break for rest, but do not stop, but walk in place or around the hall.

A large amount of energy is burned due to the use of a large number of muscles. All muscles in the legs will receive the load: calf muscles, adductors on the inner thigh and abductors on the outer surface, hamstrings and quadriceps, and gluteal muscles. The abdominal muscles, latissimus dorsi and deltoids will also work.

The main advantages of Jumping Jack:

• cardio exercise for intense calorie burning, promotes the formation of a negative energy balance and accelerates weight loss;
• training the cardiovascular system, strengthening the heart. A trained heart pumps more blood, all organs and tissues benefit from this;
• It is convenient to use as a warm-up, as the whole body works and warms up. The pulse quickly rises, the muscles of the arms and legs become ready for subsequent loads;
• no equipment is required and can be performed both indoors and outdoors;
• The load level is easily adjusted by changing the speed. If you jump faster, your heart rate will rise sharply; if this is undesirable, then you should do it at a gentle, measured pace;
• the whole body becomes toned, not only the leg muscles work, but also the stomach, back, arms, shoulders;
• endurance increases; with regular exercise, the body adapts to long-term stress;
• if you use different variations, the load will constantly change, the results will not begin to decrease due to getting used to the same actions;
• Suitable for athletes of any level. Beginners perform the easiest versions, people with good training choose more difficult variations and use additional equipment to make it even harder;
• flexibility, coordination of movements, dexterity, and a sense of balance develop.