How Can Jumping As An Exercise Benefit Your Health?

What you need to know:

• Why do we choose to jump?

• Benefits of jumping

• How to jump safely?

Why did we choose to jump:

Our #JumpForHealth challenge has been running for over five years. First launched in 2017, the campaign was developed for the dual purpose of improving our members’ health and an important charitable cause. For every 10,000 jumps we received, Aditya Birla Health Insurance donated a prosthetic leg to a person in need. 

One cannot overstate the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise. If you add jumping exercises to your workout, then you are sure to reap its many benefits. An exercise as simple as jumping helps you stay fit and active. Since this anaerobic exercise involves quick bursts of energy, it does not rely on oxygen delivery alone. It taps into other energy sources.  

Benefits of jumping

You can easily incorporate jumping into your home-based exercise routine as it does not require any special equipment. Take a look at the many advantages that this exercise has to offer:

• Jumping builds strength and improves muscle tone. Jumping exercises such as jumping jacks, burpees, squat jumps, lunge jumps or skipping rope tone your upper and lower body. 
• If you jump 10 times a day twice, it can improve your bone density and has greater benefits than running or jogging.
• Jumping is a great calorie-burner exercise. It improves your metabolism which enables you to burn calories throughout the day. The explosive nature of jumping exercises requires a lot of energy and burns fat and sugar.
• When you jump, your body becomes accustomed to supplying more oxygen and blood to your muscles, which improves the functioning of your lungs and your cardiovascular health. The increase in blood circulation can immensely benefit your cardiopulmonary and vascular systems.
• Known as plyometric training, jumping consists of fast movements which activate the fast-twitch muscle fibers that build strength, muscle, and power. Jumping also hones your balance and coordination. Use a variety of jumping exercises where you land on one leg or both your legs to activate your motor skills. 

• Jumping is a common movement applied in athletics and various sports such as basketball or volleyball. Therefore, innovating the jumping exercise and conditioning your body through a variety of movements will reduce the risk of injuries. The landing of a jump in multiple ranges, directions, and the muscles that are regularly put to use condition the body against injuries. 
• When you break a sweat while jumping, it releases endorphins or the happy hormone. So, when you include this mood-boosting fun routine into your workout, bid goodbye to stress.

How to jump safely?

As long as you jump correctly, it will not cause you any harm. However, jumping on hard surfaces can cause injuries. If you land in an improper form or use an incorrect technique, that can also cause a knee-jerk reaction. Jump on softer surfaces. Instead of overdoing it, start slow and gradually increase the pace or duration of jumping. 

Here is how to participate in #JumpForHealth:

Step 1: Shoot your jump video

Step 2: Upload on social media with #JumpForHealth and tag @abchealthinsurance 

Step 3:  Mention the number of jumps and nominate others to participate

Join us in our #JumpForHealth campaign and help us reach our target of donating 1000 prosthetic legs. Find out more on mindfulness and nutrition-related topics on the Activ Living page.