Are jumping jacks a part of your workout routine? There is a reason why this old school calisthenic exercise is still around because it works! Workout trends have rediscovered the back-to-basic calisthenics and many have found that the benefits of jumping jacks not only include burning calories, but they provide an awesome stress-relieving, cardiovascular strengthening exercise.
If you think about it, jumping jacks are a full body exercise that includes many of the features of the multitasking most people embrace today. You may wonder, are jumping jacks good for my work out? This activity is more than just a childhood flashback to gym class, but an excellent way to lose weight and stay fit.
Traditionally, you’ll see the jumping jack as part of a warm-up routine, but when it is done intensely, or as an aerobic exercise, you’ll see a significant difference on the scale. This fabulous fat burning exercise can also be done anywhere, so you don’t need a gym membership or to purchase any expensive gym equipment to do the exercise.
How Many Calories Does 100 Jumping Jacks Burn?
Depending on how vigorously you do your exercise, you can burn between 100-200 calories. That is pretty awesome for such an easy exercise to fit into your schedule.
This seems like a very simple exercise, but you get the most benefits from the workout if you have the correct stance and position when you are doing your jumping jacks for cardio purposes. Making sure you are doing your jumping jacks correctly also lessens the potential for injury.
There are two stages in a jumping jack that include the adduction stage, or when your feet are together and you jump, and the abduction stage when your feet are apart and you jump.
Here are a few simple instructions to make sure you are doing your jumping jack correctly:
- Stand with a straight back, abdomen tucked in, and your arms to your sides.
- Jump and spread your legs apart in one movement and raise your arms over your head at the same time.
- Clap your hands together at the end of the jump and you should find that your legs are more than a hip width apart.
- Bring your legs back together as you jump again and bring your arms back down to your sides.
- This movement is repeatable while your heart rate goes up and your muscles are moving.
- The more intense you make this simple exercise the more weight you can lose.
What Muscles Do Jumping Jacks Work?
Jumping jacks target your glutes, back, thighs, calves, and shoulder muscles. You are not looking at your muscle to increase in size, only to become tighter. Doing jumping jacks will strengthen your muscle fibers and tone as well as exercise these muscles which will make the fat deposits diminish.
Jumping jacks reach all the parts of your body at the same time, plus it works out your abdominal muscles which lessen belly fat and helps you to get your body back in shape. The best way to do the jumping jack and to get the best results is to jump with your legs apart and return to the main position in a squatting position. Make sure to have a consistent pace while you do the exercise, and remember, if you need to increase your muscle endurance, jumping jacks is the best exercise to do that.
9 Benefits of Jumping Jacks
1. Burning calories
One of the best effects of jumping jacks is burning off calories to lessen your body weight. Many people use jumping jacks and walking to lose weight because it is an efficient and effective exercise. Plus, jumping jacks can increase your heart rate which delivers more oxygen to your muscles and to your bloodstream. When you increase your blood flow, you are more likely to burn off calories that will help you lose weight.
Jumping jacks is a sustainable way to lose weight, plus your body is warmed up after only 10-15 jumping jacks, so the more jumping jack you do, the more calories you will burn off. One Harvard University study found that if you do jumping jacks for thirty minutes at a moderate speed, a person that weighs 180 pounds will burn off 200 calories. If that same person picks up the pace and does the exercise vigorously, they will burn off 355 calories in the same amount of time.
When you include jumping jacks into high-intensity interval training or circuit training, you can get even more benefits from this simple exercise. By just increasing your jumping jack intensity, you not only lose weight, but you can replace it with muscles. A Livestrong article reported that an individual weighing 150 pounds burns around 275 calories for 30 minutes of intense and vigorous jumping jacks.
2. Cardiovascular benefits
Jumping jacks is an awesome and versatile exercise that can be used on its own, in an aerobics class, or during cross training to help people lose weight. But, it is most valuable in the following ways:
- It can significantly raise your heart rate due to the repetition of the exercise and helps to increase your blood circulation.
- Better blood circulation promotes weight loss as well as strengthens your cardiovascular system.
- When you are breathing more and getting more oxygen in your lung, your heart will stay healthy which helps lessen your chance of getting lifestyle diseases.
- As the oxygen you are taking in is pulled into your bloodstream, your cardiovascular system is strengthened and your cholesterol levels are maintained and in check.
- High pressure can also be reduced by lessening fat deposits in your blood channel
Doing jumping jacks can also protect your body from obesity and getting diabetes. Your abdominal muscles also get an awesome workout that gets rid of excess belly fat and tones up your abs.
When you have constant exercise, fat deposits will start to recede and your muscle tone will be improved as your muscle fibers get stronger. This exercise also adds to your flexibility, your general wellness, and it can improve your mood with its endorphin release.
3. Relaxation Benefits
Endorphins are a great benefit of exercising. When you do an exercise like jumping jacks for an extended amount of time, your body will release endorphins, which is a chemical that relieves the body of pain and gives you a sense of relief.
Endorphins also give you a sense of happiness and help to promote wellness by allowing you to regain lost energy. The deep breathing that accompanies exercising also helps you to free your thoughts and your mind becomes clearer and sharper.
4. Body Shape Benefits
If you have posture issues, or are just interested in maintaining the right body shape, jumping jacks are one of the best exercises to do. You need to be sure to do Jumping jacks regularly and vigorously to help restore good posture and the desired body shape results you want.
5. Warm Ups
When you are preparing to do any vigorous workouts, especially intense cardiovascular work, it is important to warm up your body first to get it prepared for what is about to happen. If you don’t do a warm up, you can strain parts of your body which can be detrimental to future workouts due to pain and muscle strain.
Jumping jacks as a warm up will also increase your heart rate and loosen and free up your limbs. By doing jumping jacks first, you are preparing your body for the vigorous workout to come. During interval training, the use of jumping jacks will help you increase your heart rate and improve your stamina.
6. Strengthening Benefits
Since jumping jacks move all of your large muscle groups, it really gives you a good full-body workout. Make sure to breathe deeply so that you are engaging your core and targeting your abdominal muscles as well.
You can also modify how you are doing your jumping jacks making them an intense activity that builds muscle. If you assume a deep squat when you return to the standing position, you can target your thigh, gluteal, calf, and abdominal muscles, but make sure to do this at a brisk pace so you can keep up the aerobic benefits of the workout.
7. Making Bones Stronger
Since you are working against gravity when you are doing a jumping jack, it makes your muscles pull with the bone. Your bones then become stronger and denser because of the weight and load it endures while you are jumping. This helps you reduce your change of result of getting osteoporosis and losing tissue.
8. Endurance and Conditioning
If you are looking for a good exercise to increase your endurance, jumping jacks will always be at the top of the list. There is a reason why the military and athletes from all over the world utilize this exercise as a part of their training.
By tightening and strengthening your muscles, you are better able to face all sorts of physical challenges. Conditioning their cardiovascular system by doing jumping jacks helps soldiers to be more effective and efficient when going about their duties, plus it increases their mobility.
9. Affordable Exercise
One of the biggest benefits of jumping jacks is that it is affordable, doesn’t require expensive equipment, and it doesn’t need to be done in a gym. Remember, as you begin doing this type of exercise, start slowly and build up your momentum gradually.
Conclusion
So, you’ve seen the benefits of jumping jacks and how they can help you lose weight, improve muscle tone, and strengthen your bones. Remember, how many calories does 100 jumping jacks burn depends on the rate you are doing the exercise, so it is important to build up your endurance to make sure you are maximizing the amount of time your work out. So, the next time you wonder, are jumping jacks good for my workout, remember how affordable and easy this exercise is, and make it part of your workout regimen immediately.
