Tutorial: Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are a classical cardiovascular and endurance exercise. Why this traditional exercise still matters today? Because it’s highly effective. Here is how you should be performing it.

WHAT

• Jumping jacks are an excellent whole-body exercise that will challenge muscular endurance and aerobic capacity.
• They can be a great addition to any high-intensity circuit-style workout, or where equipment/weights are unavailable.

HOW

• Start in a standing position with arms by your sides. Engage the core slightly and set the shoulders, ready for movement.
• Keeping arms and legs straight (but not locked out) simultaneously jump the legs out to the sides and raise the arms to shoulder height. Stabilise the hips, core and shoulder girdle.
• Return to start and continue at a controlled rhythmic pace for time or reps.

WHY

• Widely known as a traditional aerobic conditioning exercise, the jumping jacks are often associated with the military or boot-camp style training. However, they can be a great conditioning exercise within any workout.
• When performed at a lower speed, jumping jacks can be used effectively as part of a warmup. During high-intensity, circuit-style workout, they can be used either as a primary exercise or as a recovery exercise (in between loaded movements). In this way, they serve as a lower intensity movement that will keep the heart rate up.
• As a standalone exercise, try higher reps or times more significant than 30 seconds to benefit from the muscular and cardiovascular challenges.
• There are several variations of jumping jacks including bent arms (if shoulders are fatiguing quickly); front-side jacks (arms swing to front and sides alternately); and front jacks (alternating arms and legs to the front, also known as ‘spotty dogs’). A lot to choose from to improve your condition and form.

That’s it for this classic. Jumping jacks may be done, but there are a lot more tutorials to try. Here’s a selection:

• Inverted jump
• Jumping lunge
• Explosive floor bridge
• Single-leg squat
• Reverse lunge
• Kettlebell clean and press