Jumping jacks are one of the most underrated exercises in the fitness world. Simple yet incredibly effective, this childhood favorite has stood the test of time, proving that a full-body workout doesn’t always require fancy gym equipment or complex routines.

However, beneath this simplicity lies a powerhouse of benefits that go beyond just warming up your body. For those new to fitness or seasoned athletes looking to add variety to their workouts, jumping jacks offer a full-body workout with the convenience of requiring no equipment and minimal space.

Jumping jacks are often remembered as the go-to activity during elementary school gym classes, but their value far exceeds what we were taught back then. In fact, they're a type of calisthenic plyometric exercise that engages the entire body, providing a great cardio workout while also benefiting several other key aspects of physical fitness.

How to Do Jumping Jack The Right Way

When done right, jumping jacks increase heart rates, make one's feet more resilient and hardy, bring about better agility in the hip, and strengthen bones to support bone density. They are fantastic exercises to burn calories fast over a quick cardiovascular session to stimulate blood flow with the muscles into action in several minutes. But first, let's go back to the basic form of jumping jacks. To maximize the benefits and avoid possible injuries, make sure that you perform the movement with correct posture.

• Stand erect with your legs together and arms relaxed at your sides.
• Jump your feet out to the sides while simultaneously lifting your arms over your head. Keep a slight bend in your knees to absorb the impact gently.
• Jump your feet back together while bringing your arms back down to your sides.
• Always stay light on your toes, maintaining a soft bend in your knees. Try to move in a fluid, controlled manner to minimize the risk of injury.

Jumping jacks can actually be modified with regard to anyone's fitness levels. For novices, step-to-step will do with elevation of arms because they do not jump. Alternatively, advanced levels can add their squat or have higher jumps such that it gives a "power jack."

Benefits of Doing Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are an excellent addition to any fitness routine, providing a host of benefits that address several aspects of your health and fitness.

1. No Equipment Required

One of the things I like best about jumping jacks is that they use absolutely no equipment aside from your body weight. This means that they are also one of the most versatile and accessible exercises you can do just about anywhere: in your house, in the park, or in a hotel room while traveling. A good supportive pair of shoes and a flat surface is all you need to get started.

2. A Great Warm-Up

Jumping jacks are excellent in priming the body before going into more strenuous workouts because they raise your heart rate, increase core body temperature, and mobilize key joints such as your hips and shoulders. Dynamic movement gets the body ready for both cardio and strength training exercises, so it's an important part of any warm-up routine.

3. Enhanced Cardiovascular Fitness

Jumping jacks are great cardio exercises. Their fast movements will make you breathe hard as they improve cardiovascular endurance and also the health of your heart. Over time, you will note that your endurance increases as you include them in your workout sessions. You may also vary them to suit your fitness level through increasing the reps or your speed.

4. Strengthening Your Lower Limbs

Jumping jacks are a plyometric exercise. This is because it is explosive. It does repeated jumping that can build your foot, ankle, calf, and knee resiliency. As time passes, this can improve the way you absorb impact and rapidly develop force to lower your risk of injury during other activities like running or jumping.

5. Increased Mobility of Hips and Shoulders

Sitting for long periods of time causes stiffness in the hips and shoulders. Jumping jacks help counteract these effects by promoting hip adduction (moving your legs toward your midline) and abduction (moving them away from the body). Similarly, lifting your arms overhead works your shoulders, improving range of motion and flexibility. These movements keep your joints mobile and reduce the side effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

6. Increasing Bone Density

Jumping jacks can also help you improve your bone health. The CDC identified osteoporosis as a major health concern for all adults, especially the older ones. Weight-bearing exercises such as jumping jacks stimulate bone growth and improve bone density to increase chances of reducing the risk of fracture and osteoporosis in the later years of life.

Do Jumping Jacks Actually Improve Strength?

Jumping jacks are an excellent activity for beginners who need to lay a foundation. It works the legs, core, and shoulders simultaneously, giving it a full-body workout. For those at more advanced levels of fitness, though, it may not really build much muscle. To actually build muscle strength, resistance training through weight lifting will be necessary. However, jumping jacks still have an important role in improving endurance and general fitness.

How Many Calories Do Jumping Jacks Burn?

If you're interested in how many calories you can burn doing jumping jacks, a 150-pound person can expect to burn about 9 calories per minute doing them. While calorie burning is a nice bonus, it's very important to look at exercise as a tool for overall health and not just as a means to lose weight. Doing physical activity that you like, such as jumping jacks, helps foster a balanced approach to health and fitness.

Jumping Jacks Variations to Mix Things Up

As you get more into your fitness routine, you can vary your jumping jacks to increase the intensity. For instance, add power jacks, where you add a squat before jumping up as high as you can, will increase the intensity. You can also add other variations such as star jumps or even use a trampoline for a fun twist on the classic jumping jack.

Adding cardiovascular fitness to your workout arsenal, building strength in your lower limbs, and improving joint mobility while taking up a minimal amount of time with no additional equipment requires only jumping jacks. If you're just beginning your journey towards becoming fit or if you're looking for a fun way to add some zest into the old routine, it's pretty hard to get much better than jumping jacks. With so many benefits to gain, why not jump into your fitness routine today and experience the power of this classic exercise for yourself?

When you're a consistent runner, it feels like it's leg day, every day. Your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves are working hard — taking you up steep inclines, powering you through speed intervals, and carrying you to the finish line. So you naturally want to know: if you're running regularly, do you no longer need to do lower-body strength training?

The quick answer, not exactly. While running definitely makes your legs stronger in certain ways, it doesn't entirely substitute for the special benefits that result from traditional strength training. Here's what you need to know about how running develops strength, why strength training is still important, and how to strategically balance both for peak performance and injury prevention.

How Running Strengthens Your Muscles?

Running creates a specific kind of strength called strength endurance. This is the ability of your muscles to produce force repeatedly over a long time. Each time you take a step, there's repetitive muscle contraction building you up for sustained effort, much like performing a high-rep, low-weight exercise. Rather than lifting dumbbells, you're lifting your own body weight step after step.

In addition, running — especially when involving hill sprints, speed intervals, and strides — can create a bit of explosive strength, or the capacity to produce a large amount of force in a short time. If your runs, however, consist primarily of steady paces on flat surfaces, you won't be tapping into this kind of strength.

What running does not effectively build up is maximal strength — your capacity to generate the most force during one effort. Maximal strength training generally demands that you lift heavy weights for few repetitions, a stimulus running by itself just cannot offer, regardless of distance or speed.

Why Strength Training Still Matters for Runners?

Developing various kinds of strength depends on the idea of progressive overload: progressively putting more demands on your muscles by using heavier loads, more repetitions, less rest, or harder movements. Although running can incorporate some progressive overload — say, by adding mileage or hill sprints — there's a real-world and biological limit to how much you can push this.

Amplifying run volume significantly heightens your vulnerability to overuse injuries. Higher increases in training load were also associated with a greater incidence of injury among runners training for the New York City Marathon, a 2022 British Journal of Sports Medicine found. Not every athlete can or should go from 30 to 60 miles per week attempting to add greater strength — too often, risk just isn't worth the potential reward for many athletes.

Conversely, traditional resistance training provides a safer, more targeted, and more effective means of gradually increasing your muscle overload. Through lifting heavier weights, varying rest times, experimenting with tempo, and doing compound exercises such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts, runners can enhance maximal strength without having to significantly boost their mileage.

This additional strength translates back into your running: stronger muscles mean greater running efficiency, better injury resilience, and the ability to maintain good form even when fatigue sets in during longer distances.

Finding the Right Balance Between Running and Strength Training

If you’re wondering how to fit strength work into your running routine without feeling perpetually sore or exhausted, the key lies in smart scheduling and recovery.

Begin with strength training once or twice a week, preferably on hard run days to make your easy days really easy. Focus on full-body strength sessions, but pay particular attention to the lower body, core, and posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, back). Most importantly, prioritize proper form and controlled movements over lifting as heavy as possible from the start.

Let your body adjust slowly. Sure, you may be a bit sore initially — especially if you haven't been doing much strength training — but eventually, your body will learn to cope with the increased stimulus. In the long term, the reward in enhanced running performance and decreased risk of injury is well worth the initial investment.

Is Running by Yourself Leg Day?

While running does develop muscular endurance and some explosive power, it doesn’t provide the maximal strength benefits that structured resistance training delivers. Therefore, if you’re serious about being a stronger, faster, and healthier runner, running alone shouldn’t be your only form of leg training.

Consider running and strength training as two pieces of a larger, holistic fitness puzzle. Both play a distinct but equally valuable role in supporting your performance, longevity, and athleticism.

Why Daily Running Provides More Benefits Than You May Realize

Daily running, when approached thoughtfully and with proper recovery, can provide a wide range of physical and mental health benefits that go far beyond cardiovascular fitness.

1. Enhanced Cardiovascular Health

Regular running makes the heart stronger, enhances blood flow, reduces blood pressure, and minimizes the risk of heart disease.

2. Better Mood and Mental Well-being

Running increases endorphins — the "feel-good" hormones — and has been associated with lower depression and anxiety rates.

3. Increased Muscle and Bone Strength

Consistent weight-bearing exercise such as running builds bone density and preserves muscle mass, particularly useful with age.

4. Improved Weight Control

Running burns a large number of calories and can aid in maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight when combined with well-balanced eating.

5. Longer Life

Several studies indicate that consistent runners have decreased death rates and longer lives than do non-runners.

6. Sounder Sleep

Consistent exercise such as running aids in keeping your sleeping cycle in check, thus falling asleep and sleeping better.

7. Cognitive Advantages

Running has been proven to improve cognitive ability, memory, and even induce neurogenesis — the creation of new brain cells.

However, it's crucial to listen to your body. Adding in easy runs, cross-training, strength training, and some rest days will serve to avoid overuse injuries and have you running well for many years to come.

We have seen many actors often undergoing rigorous physical training to prepare for demanding roles. They also push their bodies beyond usual limits. One such star currently making waves for his dedication and fitness regime is Ranbir Kapoor. He is undergoing an intense training for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film Love and War, which is set to release next year. The film also stars Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal.

A glimpse from Ranbir Kapoor's workout was shared on the Instagram, which left many fans and fitness enthusiasts in awe. His trainer, Nam, shared the behind-the-scenes image of the actor performing a front lever- one of the most challenging calisthenic exercises. The image also showed Ranbir's core strength, balance, and control. It also inspired many to push their own workout limits.

What Is A Front Lever?

The front lever is an advanced calisthenic exercise where the body is held parallel to the ground while suspended from a bar. It is a full body challenge with the only point of contact being the hands gripping the bar.

How can you perform a successful front lever?

Core Strength: The abdominal muscles and obliques work intensely to keep the body straight and stable.

Back and Shoulder Engagement: The latissimus dorsi (lats), traps, and deltoids support and control the body’s position.

Grip and Arm Power: A strong grip and enduring forearms are essential to maintain the hold without sagging.

Full-Body Coordination: The front lever is a compound movement, requiring synchronized muscle engagement for balance and stability.

In the shared image, Ranbir maintains a flawless posture, holding his body completely straight and parallel to the ground. His execution reflects immense strength, remarkable control, and serious commitment to mastering his physical abilities.

What Are The Benefits of Front Lever Exercise?

Full-Body Strength: This exercise activates multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making it an excellent full-body strength builder.

Enhanced Core Stability: With continuous core engagement, it helps improve overall balance, posture, and athletic performance.

Upper Body Power: Strengthening the lats, traps, shoulders, and arms helps improve other key exercises like pull-ups, muscle-ups, and deadlifts.

Grip Endurance: Holding a front lever builds serious grip strength, which is useful not just for workouts but for daily activities.

Functional Fitness: It improves body awareness and control, skills that are important across various sports and everyday movements.

What Does Ranbir Kapoor's Fitness Regime Look Like?

Ranbir Kapoor's fitness journey has progressed steadily and many have witnessed it, including people who have seen the recently shared post by his fitness trainer. Hie trainer Nam had been sharing glimpses of the hard work Ranbir is putting into his regime.

It started about four months ago, where a video showed Ranbir performing pull-ups with an advanced clap variation. It also showed his agility and upper body strength.

Furthermore, the post had made it clear that his transformation for Love and War is more than just looking good on the screen. It is about his intense training regime, and the unwavering discipline that he has also encouraged to his fans to follow.

Wrist strengthening exercises play a crucial role in building muscle strength, improving flexibility, and enhancing the range of motion in the wrist joints and tendons. They are particularly beneficial for athletes like boxers, gymnasts, and tennis players, as well as individuals at risk for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Regular wrist exercises can help prevent injuries and improve overall wrist health.

Many wrist exercises can be performed easily at home using light weights like dumbbells or household items such as water bottles or soup cans. However, it’s wise to consult your healthcare provider before starting any exercise routine to ensure it’s safe for your medical condition. A physical therapist can also guide you through the correct techniques to avoid strain or injury.

Finger Stretch

A simple stretch can effectively warm up your wrists and fingers before moving on to more demanding exercises. Begin by sitting comfortably with your elbow bent at a right angle. Make a fist, then slowly open your hand, stretching and spreading your fingers wide. Perform several repetitions with both hands. This exercise is also helpful during activities that require repetitive motion, like typing.

Wrist Extension With Dumbbell

For this exercise, sit in a chair with your forearm supported on a table and your hand hanging over the edge, palm facing down. Holding a 2- or 3-pound dumbbell, slowly lift your hand toward the ceiling, keeping your forearm steady. After fully extending your wrist, hold briefly, then lower it back down. Aim for two to three sets of 10–15 repetitions. Beginners can start without weights and gradually progress.

Dumbbell Wrist Flexion

Continuing with the dumbbell, flip your hand so your palm faces the ceiling. Flex your wrist upward, lifting the weight toward the ceiling, hold for a few seconds, and return to the starting position. Complete two to three sets of 10–15 repetitions. Like extensions, this flexion movement can also be practiced without weights by gently pulling your hand back with your other hand.

Prayer Stretch

To stretch the wrists and forearms, press your palms together just below your chin in a prayer position. Keeping your fingers together, slowly lower your hands until you feel a stretch along the inner arms. Hold for 15–30 seconds and repeat two to four times.

Steeple Stretch

Start in the prayer position and splay your fingers and thumbs apart as wide as possible, then bring your palms back together. Perform several repetitions throughout the day to maintain flexibility.

Wrist Supination With Dumbbell

Wrist supination involves rotating your wrist so your palm faces up. Sit with your forearm on a table and your wrist over the edge, holding a light dumbbell like a hammer. Slowly turn your hand until your palm faces the ceiling, hold, then return to the start. This exercise can also be done without weights.

Wrist Pronation With Dumbbell

The opposite of supination, pronation means turning your wrist so your palm faces downward. Hold the dumbbell vertically and rotate your wrist until your palm faces the floor. Perform two to three sets of 10–15 repetitions. For balanced strengthening, alternate between supination and pronation exercises.