Jumping Jacks: Fun And Useful Exercise For The Whole Body

Burning Advantages Of Jumping Jacks To Consider

There is not a single person who wouldn’t know what jumping jacks are. The fact is that most of us had tried this exercise when we were kids without even knowing that it was an effective exercise that can add up to your weight loss.

The truth is that today this exercise is included in almost any high-intensity interval training routine and there is no wonder why. Jumping jacks are not only good for warming up but also for stamina as well as cardiovascular system improvement. Taking all this into consideration we decided to discuss the benefits of the exercise as well as its variations in this article. Read on to learn more!

10 Benefits Of Jumping Jacks

We are going to start our survey with the list of benefits of jumping jacks. You will be surprised by their number, that is for sure!

Heart health

The truth is that jumping jacks are a cardio exercise for the most part. This means that it improves your heart health by making it work out together with your body.

Weight loss

Many people are trying to lose weight these days, and jumping jacks is the exercise that can aid in this process tremendously. The exercise increases the number of burnt calories, and that adds up to weight loss.

Improved coordination

Not everyone thinks about this benefit, but it is still present. When you od jumping jacks, you improve coordination between your limbs and brain.

Stress relief

When you are doing the exercise, your brain perceives it as something good and relieves the stress. Besides, the adrenaline that is produced positively affects your mood too.

Warming up exercise

Every workout should start with a proper warm-up. There is no better exercise to warm up the whole body other than jumping jacks.

Total body workout

When you carry the exercise out properly you ensure that all of your body is participating. That is why the exercise triggers all the muscle groups in your body, and that is surely a huge advantage.

Flexibility

Those who lead a sedentary way of life usually complain that they are not as flexible as they used to be. Jumping jacks is the exercise that can help you increase flexibility as well.

Toned up muscles

When your muscles are not toned up, the body looks saggy, and no one likes that. That is why to improve the condition all you need to do is to introduce jumping jacks into your routine.

Stamina and stability

If you think that there is something off about your balance the best way to improve it is to try out jumping jacks. Besides, it will surely add up to your stamina growth.

Strength

Since the exercise switches the whole body on, it will result in general strength increase. You will feel stronger both physically and mentally if you exercise regularly.

How To Do Jumping Jacks

When you learn about all the benefits, it is time to discuss how to do jumping jacks correctly. Even though it seems like a simple exercise, the wrong approach to it can result in a negative outcome.

The fact is that the exercise triggers all the big muscle groups such as calves, quadriceps, glutes, and your upper back.

Here is how you need to carry the exercise out:

• Stand with your feet together.
• Make sure that your arms are at your sides.
• Jump your feet out to the sides and raise your arms up.
• Make sure that the process is simulations.
• Reverse to the starting position immediately.
• Repeat.

As you can see, there is nothing complex about the exercise. However, it is best if you keep your arms straight all the times. Besides, try to jump as lightly as you can to trigger your core muscles too.

Jumping Jacks Variations

We have already discussed what do jumping jacks do to your body and how to do the exercise correctly. Now, it is time to pay attention to some exercise variation to make the routine interesting and effective.

Front Clap Jumping Jacks

This version of the exercise is centered on your shoulders, biceps, triceps, inner thighs, hamstrings, quads, calves, and glutes.

Here is how you should do it:

• Stand up straight.
• Keep your feet together.
• Extend your hands in front of your chest.
• Make sure that palms are facing each other.
• Engage the core.
• Jump and split the legs apart.
• Move your hands away and bring them to your side.
• Land softly on your feet with the knees bent.
• Jump again.
• Bring the legs and hands together.
• Repeat 20 times.
• Do 3 sets of 20 reps.

Alternating Jumping Jacks

This particular variation of regular jumping jacks triggers your inner thighs, hamstrings, calves, glutes, hip flexors, and quads.

Here is how you should do it:

• Stand up straight.
• Keep the feet together.
• Keep your hands at your side.
• Jump so that one leg is in the front and the other at the back.
• Keep it in mind that this is not a lunge.
• Bend your knees a little.
• Balance the body by flexing the elbows and moving one hand to the front and the other to the back.
• Jump again and change the leg.
• Repeat 25 times.
• Do 3 sets of 25 reps.

Plank Jacks

Plank jumping jacks trigger core, adductor, glute, hamstrings, calves, and quads. Here is how you should do them:

• Kneel down.
• Clench your fists.
• Flex your elbows.
• Put your forearms and fists on the floor.
• Extend your leg behind and support the foot on the toes.
• Repeat the moves with the other leg.
• Jump and split your legs out.
• Jump again and bring your legs together.
• Repeat 10 times.
• Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

What Muscle Groups Jumping Jacks Work On

In case you wonder which muscle groups precisely, jumping jacks trigger – we are going to dwell upon that as well.

• Hip Adductors – these are the muscles in your inner thighs. Very often this area is described as the most difficult to shed some fat from. However, jumping jacks, whether tradition or the variations can help here too.
• Calves – you can find calf muscles at the back of your lower legs. If you think that toned calves look more than attractive, then you should add some jumping jacks to your workout routine.
• Hip Abductors – these are the muscles in your outer thighs, from the hips to the knees. If you need some toning in the area, then you should try doing some jumping jacks on a regular basis.
• Shoulder Abductors And Adductors – these muscles are triggered when you move your arms sideways as well as when you bring back your arms close to your body. As you already know, jumping jacks involve such movements as well.
• Core – the truth is that in order to have a perfect-looking core you need to work hard. However, jumping jacks activate the area as well so that they can increase the fat-shedding speed tremendously. As well as they can tone up your core significantly.

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How Many Calories Jumping Jacks Burn

These day sit is all about the burnt calories it seems. Clearly it is a nice approach to your weight loss if you start counting the calories that you consume as well as the ones that you burn. So, how many calories do jumping jacks burn?

The truth is that the amount of calories you burn depends greatly on your gender, body type, fitness level, weight, etc., and this does not concern jumping jacks only.

However, it is said that in general, you can burn up to 100 calories after 15 minutes of jumping jacks workout. Besides, the more intense if your workout, the more calories you burn. There are cases when the number of burnt calories can go as far as to around 180 per 15 minutes.

Keep it in mind that what matters most is the way you feel, you should not push yourself over the edge just to burn more calories. It is best if you gradually increase the intensity instead of going full force at once.

Jumping jacks is a well-known exercise but not everyone knows how effective it can actually be. We have gathered all the necessary information concerning the exercise in one place. Dive in!

FAQ: Jumping Jacks