Build Cardio and Leg Strength with Jumping Jacks & Squat

Jumping Jacks & Squat

Rep Range

Time Based

Hints

Start with the classic jumping jack position: feet together and arms by your sides. Perform the jumping jack, extending your arms overhead and spreading your feet wider than shoulder width apart. As you transition back to the center and your feet are about to touch, quickly hop them back out to shoulder width. From this wider stance, engage in a slight squat and lightly tap the floor with your fingertips, ensuring your back remains straight and you push your hips back slightly. Your squat shouldn't be deep; just enough to allow you to touch the ground. Following the tap, spring back up, bringing your feet together to start the next repetition. This exercise blends the cardiovascular benefits of the jumping jack with a light leg engagement from the squat tap.

Common Mistakes

Avoid rounding your back when reaching down to tap the floor. This can place strain on the lower back. Instead, hinge at the hips with a straight back. It's also crucial to ensure your knees don’t travel too far forward past your toes during the squat, as this can put undue stress on the knee joints. Remember, this is a light squat, so there's no need to go too deep.

Breathing

Inhale as you perform the jumping jack, exhale as you transition into the light squat and tap the ground, and then inhale again as you spring back up into the jumping jack's starting position. Proper breathing will help deliver oxygen to the muscles and maintain endurance throughout the movement.

Muscle Focus

Primary Focus Area

Cardiovascular System

Secondary Focus Area

Lower Body, Core, Shoulders, Traps, Levator Scapulae, Rhomboids, Infraspinatus, Teres Major, Teres Minor, Latissimus Dorsi, Lower Back, Erector Spinae

Tertiary Focus Area

Chest