What Muscles do We Use to Jump?
Jumping is an activity that we do often without thinking- as it is a natural thing for us to do. Most of us understand how to jump instinctively, without fully realizing the complex series of functions that happen in our bodies in a millisecond as we do.
Here are the basic muscles that are worked when you jump up vertically:
–Your Abdominals. When you jump up vertically, you have to constrict and release your core muscles in order to exert force into the jump. This allows for the smooth transition of power between the upper and lower body.
–Your Gluteals. Your gluteal muscles will extend your hip and transfer momentum into the jump effort. The gluteals are very large and powerful muscles that allow us to walk and spring and jump- and they provide the needed force in order to propel ourselves upward.
–Your Calves. Your calf muscles are the part of you that channels the force into the jump itself, coiling and releasing with explosive force. Your calves focus the rest of the momentum and shunt it downward in order to lift you off of the ground.
Jumping uses a lot of muscles all at the same time, and it is actually a good thing for us to do. Along with increases in strength and muscle dexterity, jumping is also good for reducing toxin levels in the body and for flexibility. All in all, this is a positive exercise for us to be doing. Perhaps most importantly of all, it is fun!
