What springs to mind when you think of spring? Bunny rabbits and mad March hares? Jenny Davys from SOC suggests there are a lot of benefits to be gained from jumping… or even just bouncing (your feet don’t need to leave the floor). There is even a rather fancy word in exercise science for jumping-type exercise– “plyometrics”.
Bone Strength
When you bounce or jump, you are repeatedly contracting and stretching muscles. When muscles pull repeatedly, via the tendons, on the bones they are attached to, the response of the body is to strengthen the bone so it can cope with the load. This is extremely good for bone density and it has been shown that building bone mass density (BMD) prior to menopause reduces the risk of osteoporosis. But not just women of a certain age – people of ALL ages and sexes can reduce the risk of fracture.
Circulation and aerobic fitness
Repeated contracting and stretching of muscles also helps to produce a squeezing/pumping action around blood vessels which pumps blood around the body, and blood carries oxygen. Your body needs oxygen to power the muscles in your thighs and legs and feet that push you off the floor and control your landing, so your lungs work harder to get the air in and your heart pumps faster to push the blood that carries the oxygen to those muscles. Jumping certainly gets the heart and lungs going!
Core and Pelvic Floor Strength
To land successfully and not to fall over when you jump or bounce, you need support from your “core” – your deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. The more you practice plyometric type exercises, the more you improve the strength and function of your core and your pelvic floor.
Protection for back and knees
These core abdominals, pelvic floor and diaphragm muscles (used in breathing) are essential support for the lumbar spine and discs. Strong thigh and leg muscles are also important to support our knees and to help take pressure off the spine when we lift and carry loads (shopping or weights at the gym or even children!).
Easier everyday tasks
All the above make our daily tasks so much more of a breeze, from getting out of a chair or car to bending down to pick up the kids’ toys or putting clothes in the washing machine, not to mention running for the bus or leaping over puddles in the April showers…
Mental health
And when you are bouncing or jumping… well, you can’t help but feel a little younger at heart. It’s been shown that aerobic exercise helps produce endorphins, the feel-good chemicals that enhance our sense of wellbeing.
SAFETY
But it’s important to jump and land safely. Get advice from a professional if you can, especially if you have problems with any of your joints or your back. Before you start jumping for joy, warm up your knees, ankles, hips as well as your core – try walking and running on the spot, heel raises, mini-squats (bend your knees only to 45 degrees), one-legged squats (standing against a wall if you need to), lunges, reverse lunges, side lunges… Always try to keep your knees and feet in line, avoid knees and ankles turning in or out and your knees should never be further forward than your toes. Even if you never leave the ground, you’ll do your body good with these warm-ups.
If you do take off, make sure you bend your knees and engage your core when you land. Use your breath to help you – breathe out as you push off. Jump with feet together, or wide apart or both (star jumps) and progress to jumping from one foot to the other or even hopping… Or get a trampette (small trampoline) or a skipping rope…
Remember, though, that repeated jumping on hard surfaces such as concrete is not advised as this can create too much impact on the joints. Jumping on soft ground such as a lawn or a cushioned mat or ideally a sprung dance floor is best.
Happy SPRINGtime!
