Jumping Jacks
What are Jumping Jacks?
See all jumping jack variations
Jumping jacks are a dynamic and full body cardiovascular exercise which involves alternating between jumping into a position with arms overheard and legs wide, and a standing position with arms by the sides.
Performing jumping jacks raises the heart rate, improves blood circulation, and engages multiple muscle groups throughout the body, including the calves, glutes, hip flexors, shoulders, and core. Jumping jacks are an excellent addition to any workout routine, whether that's as a warmup for strength training or as part of a cardio circuit.
Other benefits of jumping jacks include:
Calorie burn: Jumping jacks can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time which is helpful if weight loss or management is one of your goals.
Coordination: They help to improve full body coordination and balance.
Agility: Jumping jacks can help to improve speed and agility, making it great for improving sports performance.
Improved cardio fitness: They work the full cardiovascular system and can improve heart and circulatory health.
Check out some of our other cardiovascular exercises: Skipping, Plyometrics
Commonly Asked Questions About Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are great for burning calories and fat in a short amount of time. While it’s impossible to directly target belly fat with any exercise, adding cardio exercises such as jumping jacks along with creating a calorie deficit in your diet can help with reducing body fat.
Doing 100 jumping jacks a day can burn calories and work the cardiovascular system, however it’s not necessary to do this exercise daily. Instead, perform jumping jacks alongside other cardio and strength training exercises across the week.
The benefits of doing jumping jacks include improved cardio fitness, burning calories, and increased coordination and agility. They provide a full body workout that can be used as a warm up or in a circuit workout.
Jumping Jack Tips
Keep your core engaged and land on the balls of your feet with soft knees to prevent strain on your lower back and joints.
Move your arms and legs at the same time, rather than one after another.
Start with smaller, slower jumps and increase speed and height as you warm up.
Jumping Jack Variations
The classic jumping jack is a full-body cardio exercise of star jumps, with arms reaching overhead as legs jump out wide.
Step jacks and a lower impact variation of the jumping jack which involves alternating side steps with arm raises overhead. This is a great option for those who are new to exercise or have injury prone knees and ankles.
Crossover jacks involve crossing the arms in front of chest to further work upper body and co-ordination.
Press jacks combine jumping jacks with an overhead dumbbell press to increase upper body and core engagement.
Squat jacks combine jumping jacks with bodyweight squats, boosting cardio and lower body strength.
Jumping jack burpees are a high-intensity combination of burpees and jumping jacks for full-body cardiovascular conditioning.
If you’re not sure whether a work out is suitable for you, please consult your doctor before you start it. If you're unsure of how to perform any of the above exercises, please ask help from a PT at your gym.