You probably learned how to do jumping jacks when you were a child. It is a simple calisthenics movement that requires no training and little coordination or great physical ability. But jumping jacks are serious cardiovascular endurance exercise that can be incorporated into your fitness program to produce numerous health benefits. Check with your physician before beginning a new exercise program.
Cardiovascular Benefits
Jumping jacks are an aerobic activity that increases your heart rate and decreases your risk for chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Regular cardiovascular endurance training also improves cholesterol levels and blood pressure while increasing your metabolism, endurance and muscular strength. Staying active through jumping jacks and other aerobic exercises also can elevate your mood and improve psychological functioning.
Weight-Bearing Benefits
Jumping jacks require you to work against the forces of gravity while your muscles pull against your bones. This type of activity, called weight-bearing or load-bearing, makes your bones stronger and denser, and thus better able to reduce and repair the effects of osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises benefit your bones when made part of your regular exercise routine at least three times per week, for 30 minutes, according to the University of Arizona Bone Builders. Jumping jacks are just as effective when done in 10-minute increments as well.
Calorie-Burning Benefits
Jumping jacks are considered a form of calisthenics. According to the American Council on Exercise, jumping jacks burn 100 calories for every 10 minutes of intense jumping when done by a 165-pound person. If you do three 10-minute increments of jumping jacks, three times each week, you can lose an extra pound every 11 or 12 days without changing your diet.
Risk
Jumping jacks can be a high-intensity, high-impact activity that puts you at risk for injury. One of the best ways to avoid exercise injuries is to warm up before you begin. Brisk walking or light jogging for five minutes adequately prepares your body for exercise by warming tissues, making you more flexible and reducing your risk of muscle strains and soft tissue damage. It is also important to modify movements if you feel overly strained and build your intensity gradually. Cool down by walking and stretching for a few minutes after your workout as well.
Variations
The basic jumping jack is done by standing with your feet together, your arms at your sides. Jump while raising your arms above you so that your hands meet above your head at the same time your feet land in a wide stance. Bring your arms back down to your sides as you jump your feet back together. For a lower-impact variation, include jumping jacks in your aqua fitness routine, keeping the water at chest-level and your arms below the water's surface. For higher intensity, do star jacks. Crouch down with your knees bent and touch the floor near your feet. Jump up and out as you would on a basic jack.
References
- "Circulation" Journal of the American Heart Association"; A Statement on Exercise; Gerald F. Fletcher, M.D., et al.; September 2011
- The University of Arizona Bone Builders: Exercise
- American Council on Exercise: Physical Activity Calorie Calculator
- National Institute of Arthritis and Muskoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Sports Injuries; April 2009
- ExRx.net: Jumping Jacks
Member Comments