Jack FAQs
Benefits of Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are an excellent exercise to rev up your heart rate and burn calories. Increasing speed,
duration and intensity will increase your caloric burn. Jumping jacks contribute to an overall
improvement in health when performed regularly as exercise. The American Heart Association reports
that participating in regular exercise reduces or eliminates the likelihood of diabetes, high blood
pressure, high cholesterol and coronary heart disease. Exercise can also improve your self-confidence,
improve your sleep and reduce the effects of depression.
The more calories you burn, the greater the caloric deficit you create. Keep in mind you need to burn or
reduce through your diet 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb. The total amount of calories burned varies based
on your body mass (i.e, how much you weigh).
Calories Used during Jumping Jacks (Moderate Level)
100 lb
110 lb
120 lb
130 lb
140 lb
150 lb
160 lb
170 lb
180 lb
190 lb
200 lb
210 lb
220 lb
230 lb
240 lb
250 lb
260 lb
270 lb
280 lb
290 lb
300 lb
310 lb
320 lb
330 lb
340 lb
350 lb
5 minutes
13 kcal
15 kcal
16 kcal
17 kcal
19 kcal
20 kcal
21 kcal
23 kcal
24 kcal
25 kcal
27 kcal
28 kcal
29 kcal
30 kcal
32 kcal
33 kcal
34 kcal
36 kcal
37 kcal
38 kcal
40 kcal
41 kcal
42 kcal
44 kcal
45 kcal
46 kcal
10 minutes
27 kcal
29 kcal
32 kcal
34 kcal
37 kcal
40 kcal
42 kcal
45 kcal
48 kcal
50 kcal
53 kcal
56 kcal
58 kcal
61 kcal
64 kcal
66 kcal
69 kcal
72 kcal
74 kcal
77 kcal
80 kcal
82 kcal
85 kcal
88 kcal
90 kcal
93 kcal
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-fitness-calorie-counter
15 minutes
40 kcal
44 kcal
48 kcal
52 kcal
56 kcal
60 kcal
64 kcal
68 kcal
72 kcal
76 kcal
80 kcal
84 kcal
87 kcal
91 kcal
95 kcal
99 kcal
103 kcal
107 kcal
111 kcal
115 kcal
119 kcal
123 kcal
127 kcal
131 kcal
135 kcal
139 kcal
Keep Things Simple with Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are fairly easy to do. All you have to do is stand tall in a safe area that is conducive for
exercising. Engage your core (stomach muscles) while standing with your arms beside you (palms
against your thighs) and feet together. Begin by bending your knees slightly and jump out to the sides
with each foot while lifting your arms over head simultaneously, in an arc from your sides. Keep your
arms nearly fully extended as they go up and down . Quickly, jump back into place and repeat the
exercise. Continue repeating jumping in and out until you've reached your goal. Intensify your workout
by accelerating your speed.
Modifications
Jumping jacks are a high-impact exercise. They affect your knees, hips and ankles. This type of exercise
can lead to overuse injuries when you do not get enough rest between exercise sessions. As with they
cause pain or constant irritation.
Chair Jumping Jacks
If you have a physical limitation that prevents you from doing conventional jumping jacks, you can
modify your jumping jacks by doing them seated in a chair. Start slowly if you haven't exercised in a
while. If you have questions about whether it is safe for you to exercise this way, check with your
physician.
• Begin by raising your arms above out to the side and then up in the air. Your hands do
not have to touch for a jumping jack stance, but if you want to clap every time you reach
up, then go for it. Make it fun. Keep moving your arms for at least a minute. Try to get to
the point where you can do 50 claps per minute. Your heart will thank you as will your
arms that may not be ready to take flight anymore because you've burned off all that
extra fat.
• You'll need some room to move your legs for seated jumping jacks. Push your chair out
from under the desk if you can. Try the legs by themselves before you do everything all
together. Make sure you have a stable chair too. You don't want to fall off and really
lose all the benefits from exercising that you could have gained. Lean back in the chair
and stick your legs out in front of you, parallel to the ground. Now work them like a big
old pair of scissors.
• Once you've got the basics for the arms and the legs down individually, try to do both at
the same time. Even though you're not jumping up and down, your heart will begin to
work a little and you might even work up a sheen on your forehead.
Mix it up with Jumping Jacks
If you're the type of person who gets bored with repetitive exercise, you don't have to stick with
standard jumping jacks. You can add various moves and angles while doing jumping jacks. Do scissor
jacks or side jacks for instance. Each time you bring your arms back down and your legs in, try crossing
them in front of you for scissor jacks. Side jacks involve different moves and steps. You can alternate
sides with only one arm up in the air and one leg out. Add different moves of your own to keep it
interesting, and know that jumping jacks can have many variations.
Sculpt Your Body with Jumping Jacks
Besides being a great warm-up exercise, jumping jacks are an excellent form of aerobic exercise and
they can help to condition and tone your body. Work out for 20 minutes or more a day with jumping
jacks and find you have more stamina, endurance and are in better overall shape. You can also get your
heart rate up significantly and expand your lungs while doing jumping jacks. Completing 20 minutes of
jumping jacks produces similar results as jogging for 20 minutes. Keep in mind that regular and vigorous
daily aerobic exercise of just about any kind will keep you healthy and help your body to fight disease.
Links
How to do Basic and Modified Jumping Jacks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8xo_I_TVhk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cde3INxXJ8M
How to do Chair Jumping jacks
http://www.youtube.com/user/onpointfitness#p/u/2/_0M_pbCRMe4
How to do Power Jumping Jacks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n745BffnR4A
Nutritional Tips When Exercising
Nutrition Tips before Exercise
1. Start with a full tank.
2. Fuel muscles early with slow burning carbohydrate-rich foods (whole grains, fruits, vegetables)
for endurance exercise.
3. Avoid refined carbohydrates and foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, and excess sugar.
4. Begin exercise well hydrated by drinking fluids during the day and within the hour before the
exercise session.
Snack Suggestion before Exercise
Smoothie
This smoothie recipe combines the essentials needed in a healthy and delicious snack before exercise. It
contains slow burning carbohydrate-rich foods (fruit, vegetables, whole grains →wheat germ), and
contains some protein from the low fat yogurt.
Ingredients:
½ c. Frozen blueberries - NuVal™ 100
1 banana - NuVal™ 91
Handful of baby spinach - NuVal™ 100
1, 5.3 oz Plain or vanilla Greek style yogurt (Oikos) - NuVal™ 94
1 T. Wheat germ - NuVal™ 100
½ c. Ice
Splash of 100% juice (any flavor)
Method:
Blend until smooth.
Nutrition Tips during Exercise
1. Replace sweat losses by drinking fluids regularly during exercise. Dehydration can cause fatigue
and impair performance.
2. For short duration (<60 minutes), low to moderate intensity activity, water is a good choice to
drink before, during, and after exercise.
3. Optimal fuel blend: Nutrition during prolonged exercise requires the proper mix and timing of
fluids, carbohydrate, and electrolytes. Too little fluid or too much carbohydrate can result in
cramping and other intestinal problems.
Beverage Suggestion during Exercise
Nutritional Tips When Exercising
Beverages
Begin exercise well hydrated. For short duration (<60 minutes), low to moderate intensity activity, water is a good
choice to drink before, during, and after exercise. The main goal of consuming sports drinks during exercise is to
replace fluid, carbohydrate, and electrolytes (primarily sodium) that are lost during long duration exercise. Did you
know the average sports drink, like Gatorade, has a NuVal™ score of 1? Don’t forget water is a good choice to
drink before, during, and after exercise!
Snacks
If a snack is needed to replace muscle fuel (carbohydrate) utilized during exercise, consider fruit for a snack.
Nutrition Tips after Exercise
1. Rehydrate after exercise to replace fluid lost during exercise.
2. Don’t forget, water is a good choice following exercise. Consider sports drinks for moderate to
high intensity activity lasting longer than 60 minutes.
3. Replace muscle fuel (carbohydrate) utilized during exercise.
4. Along with carbohydrate, fluid, and electrolytes, protein is an important part of recovery,
particularly if you participate in high intensity training sessions that damage muscle tissue
(resistance training, interval sessions, etc.).
Snack Suggestion after Exercise
Along with carbohydrate and fluid, protein is an important part of recovery, particularly if you participate in high
intensity training sessions that damage muscle tissue (resistance training, interval sessions, etc.). Consider
choosing non-fat or low-fat dairy which provides carbohydrate and protein.