Exercise of the Week - Week 6

This weeks exercise was selected by my youngest son. He said "Jumping Jacks are the best exercise ever".  Jumping Jacks is another one of those exercises that gets the whole body involved. They have been around for years and they still carry the intensity that gets the job done. If the thought of them  start bring back torturous memories from you high school PE class, just remember you don't have to perform them in front of 25 other students...it just you and your TV.

For those that experience knee pain as a result of high impact movements like this you can do a modified jumping jack. This movement does not require you to leave the ground and it extends the left or right arm and leg to the side in an alternating fashion.

Step 1

• Starting Position:  Stand with your feet together and arms by your sides. 
• Pull your shoulders blades down and back toward your hips.
• "Brace" (engage your abdominal / core muscles) to stabilize your spine.

Step 2

• Downward Phase: Shift your hips back and down. This will create a hinge-like movement at your knees. 
• Continue to lower yourself until you feel your heels about to lift off the floor. Try to maintain a flat back by bending forward at the hips.
•  Keep your head facing directly forward and position your arms where they offer the greatest degree of balance support.

Step 3

• Jumping Movement: With ONLY a slight pause at the bottom of your downward phase, explode up.  
• As you jump into the air, try to keep your feet level with each other and parallel with the floor. Arms move upward making a the letter V above the head.

Step 4

• Landing: The most important components of the landing phase is correct foot position, controlled movement, and soft landing, which will decrease the amount of stress placed on knees.

Step 5

• Try to land softly and quietly on the mid-foot, quickly rolling toward the heels in order to level the foot, making it parallel with the floor.
•  Always push your hips backwards and drop your hips to absorb the jumping forces. 
• Do not lock your knees on the landing in order to avoid potential knee injuries.

Make each Jump count

Mrs. Nez