Jumping Jacks
No equipment, calves and glutes
The jumping jack is a jump that opens the feet wide as the arms swing overhead, then closes them again. It raises the heart rate and works the calves, hips and shoulders. It suits almost anyone as a warm up or as part of a circuit, and it can be done stepping instead of jumping.
Setting up
- Stand tall with the feet together and the arms at the sides.
- Clear a little space around you and wear shoes that cushion the landing.
- Start at an easy pace for the first few reps.
How to do a jumping jacks
- Jump the feet out to a little wider than the shoulders.
- At the same time swing the straight arms out and up until the hands meet overhead.
- Jump the feet back together as the arms come back down to the sides.
- Land softly on the balls of the feet with the knees slightly bent.
- Keep a steady rhythm for the time or the count you set.
Breathing. Keep breathing in a steady rhythm, in for two jumps and out for two.
Muscles worked
- Mainly
- Calves and glutes
- Also
- Side delts and adductors
Common mistakes
- Landing flat footed and heavy. A heavy landing kills the rhythm, so stay light on the balls of the feet.
- Bending the arms halfway up. Short arm swings cut the work for the shoulders, so reach all the way until the hands meet overhead.
- Locking the knees on landing. Stiff legs take the spring out of the jump, so keep a slight bend in the knees each time you land.
Easier and harder
- Easier
- Marching In Place
- Harder
- Star Jump
