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"headline":"4 Health Benefits of Jumping Jacks",
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"description":"Looking for a no-frills, but highly-effective cardio exercise? Check out all the health benefits of jumping jacks.",
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"text": "Jumping jacks are an efficient, full-body cardio exercise. Stand with your feet together and your arms by your side. Jump both feet out to the sides; at the same time, lift your arms over your head as high as possible. Your body should look sort of like a star. Jump to bring both feet back together as your arms return to your side."
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"text": "There is no magic number of jumping jacks you can do to lose weight. But adding jumping jacks to your fitness routine along with a healthy diet can help you shed that extra weight faster than with diet alone. Start by doing 100 jumping jacks in a workout, and slowly build up over the weeks. Add 5, 10, or 20 extra reps to your daily total."
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"text": "Everyone's weight loss journey is different, but most of the time, your body-fat slowly decreases from all over. So while you may not see fat loss results in your belly right away, the end result is you will look a lot leaner all over, not just in your midsection."
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<article>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="#section1">What are Jumping Jacks?</a></li>
<li><a href="#section2">How Many Jumping Jacks Should I Do to Lose Weight?</a></li>
<li><a href="#section3">Best Jumping Jack Exercises/Variations</a></li>
<li><a href="#section4">4 Health Benefits of Jumping Jacks</a></li>
<li><a href="#section5">Potential Drawbacks to Consider</a></li>
<li><a href="#section6">Jumping Jacks: Wrap Up</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<section>
<p>There are plenty of exercises out there that elevate your heart rate. </p>
<p>Lots of people run, swim, or walk to burn calories and strengthen their heart and lungs.</p>
<p>But jumping jacks are just as effective as any of these types of exercise, even though they're not talked about as much.</p>
<p>Unlike swimming, you can do jumping jacks right at home using no equipment. And unlike running, they can easily be modified if you have knee pain or other limitations.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, there are several health benefits to this oft-overlooked cardio movement.</p>
<p>Let's look at how to do a jumping jack correctly, how to lose weight with this exercise, and 4 other health benefits you might not have known before.</p>
</section>
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<section id="section1">
<h2>What are jumping jacks?</h2>
<p>Jumping jacks are an efficient, full-body cardio exercise. They require no equipment, and only a small amount of floor space.</p>
<p>Regular jumping jacks are also a plyometric exercise, which means they involve jumping. But the movement can easily be modified to meet a beginner's needs (see section: "Best jumping jack exercises/variations" below).</p>
<h3>How to perform</h3>
<p>To do a jumping jack:</p>
<ul>
<li>Stand with your feet together and your arms by your side.</li>
<li>Jump both feet out to the sides; at the same time, lift your arms over your head as high as possible. Your body should look sort of like a star.</li>
<li>Jump to bring both feet back together as your arms return to your side.</li>
<li>Repeat.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>You can also watch this video</strong>: How to perform <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/perfect-form-jumping-jacks/" rel="noreferrer">jumping jacks with perfect form</a>.</p>
</section>
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<section id="section2">
<h2>How many jumping jacks should I do to lose weight?</h2>
<p>There is no magic number of jumping jacks you can do to lose weight.</p>
<p>However, adding jumping jacks to your fitness routine (or any kind of physical activity, really) along with a healthy diet can help you shed that extra weight faster than with diet alone.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3925973/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1</a></sup></p>
<p>If you're a beginner, try doing 100 jumping jacks in a workout, and slowly build up over the weeks. Add 5, 10, or 20 extra reps to your daily total. </p>
<p>Over time, the exercise will get easier, and you'll wind up doing lots more jumping jacks, which will burn more calories and speed up your weight loss.</p>
<p>And while we're on that subject, let's answer 2 common questions related to jumping jacks and weight loss.</p>
<h3>How many calories do you burn doing 500 jumping jacks?</h3>
<p>According to the MyFitnessPal tracking app, an 185-pound person will burn about 100 calories, and a 150-pound person will burn about 80 calories doing 500 jumping jacks.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.myfitnesspal.com/exercise/lookup" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2</a></sup></p>
<p>Here's how we arrived at these numbers:</p>
<ul>
<li>A moderately fit person can do about 60 jumping jacks in one minute. Therefore, 500 jumping jacks will take a little more than 8 minutes. (Taking breaks in between is fine; it will still take you about 8 minutes to do all 500 reps.)</li>
<li>According to the app, a 185-pound person burns about 10 calories/minute doing jumping jacks. A 150-pound person burns about 8 calories/minute.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Do jumping jacks help you lose belly fat?</h3>
<p>There isn't one specific exercise, including jumping jacks, that specifically targets belly fat. That's actually a popular weight loss myth known as spot-reduction.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23222084" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3</a></sup></p>
<p>Everyone's weight loss journey is different, but most of the time, your body-fat slowly decreases from all over. </p>
<p>So while you may not see fat loss results in your belly right away, the end result is you will look a lot leaner <i>all</i> over, not just in your midsection. </p>
<p><i>(Good things are worth waiting for, right?)</i></p>
<p>If you really want to focus on losing belly fat, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/" rel="noreferrer">consistently exercise</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/keto-101/" rel="noreferrer">follow a healthy diet</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/not-losing-weight-on-keto/" rel="noreferrer">control your portions</a>. Stick with your goals, and you may be surprised how quickly you get results.</p>
<p>To help you stay consistent with your workouts, use the jumping jack exercise variations in the next section to keep your sessions interesting.
</p>
</section>
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<section id="section3">
<h2>Best jumping jack exercises/variations</h2>
<p>Beginner exercises eliminate the jumping portion of the exercise; intermediate and advanced versions focus more on speed and range of motion.</p>
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<h3>Beginner/low-impact options:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Seated jumping jacks (step both legs out laterally from a chair and bring your arms over head in rhythm, just like you would with a regular jumping jack, then bring legs/feet back together and arms down toward the floor.)</li>
</ul>
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<h3>Intermediate:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Jumping jacks with partial range of motion (bring the arms up as high as you can without pain; aim for shoulder height if you can)</li>
<li>Moderately-paced jumping jacks (aim for 30-40 per minute)</li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/perfect-form-step-jacks/" rel="noreferrer">Step jacks</a></li>
</ul>
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<h3>Advanced</h3>
<ul>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/perfect-form-jumping-jacks/" rel="noreferrer">Jumping jacks</a> (full range-of-motion)</li>
<li>Vigorous jumping jacks (60 or more in a minute)</li>
<li>Jumping jacks with a change in direction (arms forward, feet crossed, with a squat in between, etc.)</li>
</ul>
</section>
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<section id="section4">
<h2>4 health benefits of jumping jacks</h2>
<p>Here are some of the other health benefits you'll receive by adding jumping jacks into your regimen.</p>
<h3>1. They're an accessible form of running/cardio</h3>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/best-low-impact-cardio-exercise-for-weight-loss/" rel="noreferrer">Cardio exercise</a> helps you control your weight, decreases your risk of disease, and keeps your heart and lungs strong and healthy.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3396114/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">4</a></sup></p>
<p>The benefits of cardio exercise are immense for human health. In fact, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/be-active/physical-activity-guidelines-for-americans/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><i>U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</i></a> (DHSS) recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.</p>
<p>(By the way: you can cut that number to 75 minutes by doing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/high-intensity-interval-training-at-home/" rel="noreferrer">higher-intensity workouts</a>.)</p>
<p>Popular cardio exercises include running, biking, swimming, and walking.</p>
<p>However, some of these might not be accessible to you. You may have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/low-impact-exercises-for-bad-knees/" rel="noreferrer">knee pain</a> that limits your ability to run. Or you might not have a gym membership, which means no access to a pool. </p>
<p>Jumping jacks, on the other hand, can be performed at home with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/hotel-room-workout/" rel="noreferrer">no equipment</a>. They're perfect for rainy days, or if you just like simple, effective workouts you can do in your living room.</p>
<h3>2. Strengthen your lower leg muscles and core</h3>
<p>Jumping jacks are a full-body cardio exercise, but they really target the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/the-5-best-calf-exercises/" rel="noreferrer">calves</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/gluteus-maximus-exercises/" rel="noreferrer">glutes</a>, quads, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/5-exercises-for-hip-pain/" rel="noreferrer">hips</a>.</p>
<p>Muscle mass and strength naturally decline as you age, but doing exercises like jumping jacks helps delay this process and keep you able-bodied enough to do the things you love.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3940510/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">5</a></sup></p>
<p>Because you're jumping, your <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/core-exercises-for-seniors/" rel="noreferrer">core muscles</a> (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/the-best-lower-ab-exercises-you-can-do-at-home/" rel="noreferrer">abs</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/top-5-exercises-to-strengthen-your-lower-back/" rel="noreferrer">lower back</a>) are also active during jumping jacks.</p>
<p>Core training offers a bunch of benefits, like decreased risk of injury or back pain, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/posture-exercises/" rel="noreferrer">improved posture</a>. <sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3806175/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">6</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4395677/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">7</a></sup></p>
<h3>3. Improves coordination and balance</h3>
<p>Your arms and legs are working at the same time during jumping jacks, which improves coordination and balance.</p>
<p>This is beneficial, because adults with poor balance are more likely to be injured from falling as they age.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5740922/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">8</a></sup></p>
<p>In fact, exercise alone has been shown to enhance brain function.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061835/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">9</a></sup> (One study even found that exercise might especially benefit the elderly in this regard.) <sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3212417/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10</a></sup></p>
<p>These are a few other ways jumping jacks can help you maintain health and fitness as you age.</p>
<h3>4. Good for stress relief and mental health</h3>
<p>Plenty of studies show that exercise relieves stress and improves overall mental health. <sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013452/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">11</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3894304/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">12</a></sup></p>
<p>Hitting your weekly physical activity requirements (150 minutes per week, according to the <i>DHHS</i>) has also been shown to boost self-esteem. <sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3632802/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">13</a></sup></p>
<p>So adding an exercise like jumping jacks to your routine not only protects you from falls, but can also help you become a healthier, stronger, and more resilient version of yourself.</p>
</section>
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<section id="section5">
<h2>Potential drawbacks to consider</h2>
<p>Jumping is the main thing you should consider if you're thinking about adding jumping jacks to a fitness program.</p>
<p>If you have bad knees or joint pain, it might be best to start with a beginner exercise that is low or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/low-impact-cardio/" rel="noreferrer">no impact</a>. (See section: "Best jumping jack exercises/variations" above.)</p>
<p>Overall, though, they're a fantastic exercise for anyone and quite easy to learn. All you need is a little floor space, and you're good to go!</p>
</section>
<hr class="divider-50 divider-medium mx-auto">
<section id="section6">
<h2>Jumping jacks: wrap up</h2>
<p>Jumping jacks are a full-body cardio exercise. They're highly accessible and effective for burning calories, and can be used as a substitute for things like running, swimming, or walking.</p>
<p>There is no magic number of jumping jacks you can do to lose weight. </p>
<p>However, you can speed up weight loss by simply adding 100 jumping jacks to your workouts today. From there, add add reps slowly (5 or 10 per workout is fine), and work your way up to higher numbers.</p>
<p>Over time, this will lead to more calories burned and better weight loss results.</p>
<p>Jumping jacks improve your cardio health, strengthen your legs and core, improve coordination and balance, and can even bolster your mental health.</p>
<p>Overall, they're a fantastic exercise and will go great in your at-home fitness routine. </p>
<p>For more exercise and workout ideas that you can do at home, visit our exercise section.</p>
</section>
</article>
