Here’s the thing, everyone thinks they know how to do jumping jacks. But, if you’re not feeling anything but your heart rate going up, you’re missing out on what this exercise has to offer.
You see jumping jacks should be sharp and precise.
Ideally, they emphasize abduction (the moving of limbs away from your body) and adduction (the moving of limbs toward the center of your body).
To achieve this we have to focus a bit on our mind-body connection.
So, are you ready to get your jumping jacks in tip-top shape?
Think about Precise Abduction
Focus on using your outer thighs and glutes to move your legs out; stopping them before you lose control over the hips and knees. To bring your legs back in, focus on your adductors (inner thighs) coming together.
At the same time, focus on your rear deltoids to karate chop your arms upward. Then focus on your lats to chop your arms down toward the center of your body.
When you perform the jumping jack your core should stay tight. This will help with the precision and control of the movement.
If you’re doing it correctly it will feel like a full-body exercise. Your abs, glutes, inner thighs, outer this, shoulders, and back will all be activated and working. It’s a far cry from the floppy bouncy jumpy jacks of middle school phys ed class.
Give it a try, now. Do you feel the difference? No? Watch this video of Coach Amber demonstrating the precision of jumping jacks. You can see how intentional and sharp her jacks are. See the difference? Good!
Now you can use jumping jacks to adequately warm up your body, or integrate them into a conditioning workout! Happy jumping!
Want more tips like this? Tune in every Tuesday for a new training tip!
Can’t wait til next week? Here are some of our favorite training tips: Training Tip Tuesday: Three Point Row, Training Tip Tuesday: The Y-Raise, Training Tip Tuesday: The Palloff Press
