Yahoo News This effective exercise will work your legs, glutes and core
Jumping lunges are not far off burpees in their level of intensity. For return on investment, they're one of those exercises that can’t be beaten.
"The jump lunge is an explosive move using multiple joints and muscles," says Victoria Chilver, trainer at F45 Peckham Rye. "It raises your heart rate and helps you work up a sweat, which means you’re exercising the cardiovascular system, too."
What muscles do jumping lunges work?
When performed correctly, jump lunges work:
Glutes
Quads
Hamstrings
Calves
Hip flexors
Core (which has to keep you stable as you’re leaping about)
What are the benefits of jumping lunges?
Jumping lunges are what we call a plyometric move – plyo for short. Yes, they'll raise your heart rate quicker, but they're more than just a cardio move.
Plyo moves like jumping lunges typically involve different speeds of movement – the end of each exercise is typically faster than the beginning. In jumping lunges, you'll lunge down slowly, then push through your legs and glutes to explode upward.
Varying your speed in this way essentially shocks your body into evolving – it can strengthen your muscles, tendons and even bones – plus it will help you build speed, power and reaction time. So if you love a sports like tennis/squash/football/netball you're going to want to add a plyo move like this one into regular rotation.
How to do jumping lunges
a) Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, core engaged and shoulders back. Take a step back with your left leg, with the weight on the ball of your back foot and your front foot flat on the floor.
b) Jump up to switch your legs in mid-air – left leg forward and right leg back. Use your arms to help you jump explosively and make sure your chest is lifted.
c) Land with both knees at 90 degrees."Keep switching legs without the knees moving out of line, ensuring your front knee isn’t further forward than your front foot," says Chilver.
Signs you're not doing jumping lunges correctly
"As you start to fatigue, your back and shoulders may begin to round and your legs will want to resist the 90-degree angle, meaning your front knee will want to come over the foot," says Chilver.
"Look out for the knees locking, too, as this will place too much stress on them and reduce the ability of the legs to absorb the force of landing from the jump."
Best to avoid this move if you’re a beginner (master regular lunges first), are pregnant or have a knee, ankle, hip or back injury.
Make it a workout: exercises to pair with jumping lunges
Use this move in a body weight HIIT workout. Do each of the moves below for 45 seconds with a 15-second rest in between. Repeat five times for a sweaty full-body session.
1/ Squat jump
a) Sink into a squat with legs at a 45-degree angle.
b) Now, using your arms to propel you, jump up before returning to a squat position.
2/ Jumping lunge
a) Take a big step forward, lower your back knee to touch the ground, then lift up and push off from the heel of your front foot back to the start.
b) Right, time to speed things up. Swap legs in mid-air, jumping in between each rep to land into a deep lunge.
3/ Push-up
a) Start in plank position, with your hands under but slightly outside of your shoulders. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.
b) As you lower yourself, tuck your elbows, pulling them close to your body so that your upper arms form a 45-degree angle when your torso is in the bottom position of the move. Pause, then push back to the starting position as quickly as possible. Keep your core braced the entire time.
4/ Deadbug
a) Lie on your back with your arms above your shoulders. Bring your legs into tabletop.
b) Keeping your core tight, lower your right leg and left arm so that they hover a few inches of the floor. Your other arm and leg should stay as still as possible, and your back imprinted into the floor.
5/ Mountain climber
a) Start in a high plank position with your hands underneath your shoulders.
b) Now pump your knees toward your chest one at a time. Keep your back flat and core engaged throughout – and don't forget to breathe.
In need of some at-home inspiration? Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for skincare and self-care, the latest cultural hits to read and download, and the little luxuries that make staying in so much more satisfying.
Plus, sign up here to get Harper’s Bazaar magazine delivered straight to your door.
You Might Also Like
