Also known as squat jumps or jumping squats, jump squats are the power-packed HIIT version of traditional squats. This exercise targets your glutes, lower abs, and leg muscles all at once.
The benefits of jump squats include strengthening your lower body and core muscles, burning calories and fat, toning your butt and legs, improving balance and agility, and ultimately, helping you lose weight.
This article simplifies how to do jump squats properly. When jump squats are done right, they promote better health and overall wellness, and also help reduce the risk of heart disease, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. This is due to their nature as a high-intensity cardio exercise.
Jump squats also help enhance circulatory health which ensures the delivery of nutrients to tissues, organs, and glands and removes waste and toxins from your body through sweating.
The muscles which are at work during this exercise include the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. Your lower back, obliques, abs, and shins are also engaged when performing this exercise. Doing a jump squat is as easy as an exercise can be––all you need is yourself and a bit of space to jump in without falling or hurting yourself.
Here’s how to perform jump squats properly…
- Stand with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart. Your toes should slightly point outward.
- Connect your hands together and bend your arms in front of you.
- Slowly get into a squat, lowering your hips, and holding the elbows on the level of your knees.
- Your elbows should be in line with your feet.
- Now, jump off the ground as high as you can and land on the ground immediately and return to the squatting position.
- Repeat immediately 15 times and do it all over for 3 sets.
However, you can decide to be versatile with your jumping squats. To do this, add the use of dumbbells, kettlebells, a barbell, or resistance bands for intense benefits. What matters the most is what you’re comfortable with and maybe even what’s available at home or in your gym.
Check out 7 powerful benefits of jump squats…
#1. Tone the butt, legs, and ab muscles
Your leg muscles play a major role during jump squats. With each step, every muscle in your leg is contracted. And because your entire body weight is on your legs, you end up burning cellulite in your butt and thighs–making your legs well-sculpted.
#2. Burn calories and fat
It has been said that depending on your current weight and the intensity of the exercise, 30 jump squats can burn about 100 calories. So, doing this workout is a great way to burn unwanted fats in your body.
#3. Improves health
The benefits of exercise are too numerous to mention. High-intensity cardio exercises like this help reduce the risk of heart disease, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes.
#4. Helps with waste removal
Jump squats facilitate circulation, help deliver nutrients to tissues and organs, and promotes waste removal.
#5. Boost sports performance
Scientific studies have concluded that squatting could help athletes perform better, specifically in endurance exercises. This is why jump squats are a part of most athletic training sessions.
#6. Maintain mobility and balance
The range of motion involved in this exercise enhances mobility and aids in keeping you more agile as you age. Squats can also help curb the natural weakening of the muscles in the leg. They help maintain motor balance and help improve brain-to-muscle communication.
#7. Helps improve bone health
It also helps to keep you healthy and prevent disease by working your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems.
Featured image: MART PRODUCTION/Pexels
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