Why Every Weight Loss Workout Needs To Involve Jumping
With all the different weight loss workouts and exercises, it can be overwhelming for people to know where to start. At the end of the day, there are plenty of different means to achieve your goal weight, but the effectiveness of jumping as a fat-burning exercise means they simply cannot be missed.
Fitness professionals and experts agree that reducing your calorie intake and doing short sessions of exercise at high intensity (as opposed to low intensity exercises like jogging) are the quickest way to lose those love handles.
Why is this kind of exercise more effective than longer cardio sessions? The answer lies in the amount of metabolic disturbance caused by exercise. Whereas low or moderate cardio exercises will only nudge your metabolism up a notch, high intensity exercises shock your metabolism into a much faster state. Think of the flame of a candle compared to a bonfire.
What’s more, the high rates of metabolism you reach after a really intense workout means that your level of caloric expenditure will be higher than normal for days, not mere hours. Researchers have found that it is this increased metabolism, which light to moderate exercises can’t bring about, that are responsible for a much quicker rate of fat-loss over a longer period of time.
Jumping - The Perfect High Intensity Exercise
It might be a while since you’ve been jumping around like you did as a child, but it’s time to return to those old habits. Getting your entire body weight up in the air is no easy feat and when performed with the mindset to push yourself to the limit, your body will burn way more calories than you would on the treadmill.
Jumping is not only exhausting to the point you can be sure your metabolism will be shocked into a higher gear, but simple and convenient. You don’t need any special equipment or a massive area to perform them in, you can perform all kinds of jump from the comfort of your own living room or garden. Additionally, all it takes is 10 to 15 minutes of your time!
The Other Hidden Benefit Of Jumping
What do almost all sports involve? You guessed it right, it’s jumping.
Even if losing weight is your primary goal, you’ll find that jumping is a surefire way to develop your athleticism. Basketball players, football players, Olympic sprinters, all those athletes with rock solid muscles and no fat in sight have got to the point through quick and fast movements throughout their training.
By requiring a large amount of power to be generated in a short span of time, the jump is one of the most explosive movements a person can perform. It requires the body to make use of fast-twitch muscle fibers, as opposed to slow-twitch muscle fibers.
Training those fast-twitch muscles means two things. First, your movements will be more coordinated, quicker and faster. Secondly, those sugar-hungry muscle fibers are always in need of refuelling, so you’ll naturally prevent a greater amount of glucose being converted to fat. In the long run, it means you’ll need to worry less about the odd piece of cake.
Three Essential Jump Exercises
Vertical Jump Development, who specialize in helping athletes to increase their vertical jump, have compiled a list of three jump variations that are sure to push your body to its limits and get the blood flowing.
1 - Knee To Chest Tuck Jumps
This is a one of the most intensive variations of a jump. As if jumping as high as you can wasn’t exhausting enough, with this exercise you’ll need to bring your knees to your chest following lift-off.
By recruiting the glutes, quads and hamstrings, all of which are among the biggest muscle groups in your body, doing just 10 knee to chest tuck jumps will leave you out of breath. In addition, your core stability will also be challenged.
2 - Split Jumps
Lunges are a favourite among people looking to tone their glutes and legs, but the simple act of adding a jumping element into the exercise will work wonders for your weight loss goals. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!
Split Jumps are exactly that. After you perform go down into the lunge position, instead of slowly bringing yourself up, jump into the air as high as you can in one swift motion. Like knee to chest tuck jumps, just doing 10 of them will prove a challenge.
3 - Half Burpees
Whereas the knee to chest tuck jump is primarily focused around your legs, half burpees contain the same motion but place less emphasis on leg power (since you don’t have to fight with gravity) and instead place additional emphasis on your core and abs. It’s a great way to polish your jump workout routine to be more well-rounded.
Don’t Forget To Stretch And Rest
Jumping is a high intensity exercise that will place more stress on your muscles and joints than going out for a walk or light jog.
It is therefore essential that you stretch your quads, hamstring and back before you perform them. If you’re out of shape, you should also get yourself comfortable with the exercises first, making sure to take things easy and not push your limits from the very beginning.
Secondly, don’t forget to rest! Jumping at high intensity will drain your energy, and you will find yourself easily fatigued if you try doing them every day. Instead, do them every other day, and throw in some light cardio work on those rest days to really accelerate your weight loss.
Summary
High intensity exercise has been scientifically shown to be the fastest way to lose fat
Jumping is the perfect intense workout - it can be done at home and doesn’t need special equipment
It also strengthens your fast-twitch fibers which means your body naturally needs more energy, so less sugar gets converted to fat
Perform jumps with the aim of making the movements as quick and powerful as you can
Remember to stretch before workouts and get plenty of rest to prevent injury and fatigue
