Jump at the Chance to Slim Down
YOUR DAILY FITNESS TIP
By Carly Young, Special to Lifescript
Check out Health Bistro for more healthy food for thought. See what Lifescript editors are talking about and get the skinny on latest news. Share it with your friends (it’s free to sign up!), and bookmark it so you don’t miss a single juicy post!
Talk to us on Facebook and Twitter!
Published November 18, 2011
After
you hear the word “plyometrics,” the first thing you might ask is “plyo
what?” But aside from the overly complicated name, this full-body
exercise technique can give you the body of your dreams. Otherwise known
as “jump training,” plyometric exercises are designed to mimic the
movements that are performed in sports like basketball, skiing and
tennis. There is a lot of dodging, jumping and charging in these moves,
all of which will raise your heart rate and ensure you work up a healthy
sweat.
The leaps and bounds of plyometrics will increase your speed and endurance and also increase your muscular power because of the stretching and contracting involved. For example, one type of plyometric training move involves jumping straight up as high as you can, landing in a crouch position, and then jumping up again. When you land from the jump, your quadriceps muscles will stretch as you bend your knees and then contract as you leap up again. This pre-stretch lends more power to the second jump.
Some quick safety tips for all plyometrics: When you come down, make an effort to be light on your feet, so your landing is low-impact. And instead of coming down on your whole foot at once, which can aggravate the knees, think of rocking on your foot and land from toe to heel. It’s fine to do these moves on your living room carpet, but think twice if you have hardwood floors (or a low ceiling!).
The leaps and bounds of plyometrics will increase your speed and endurance and also increase your muscular power because of the stretching and contracting involved. For example, one type of plyometric training move involves jumping straight up as high as you can, landing in a crouch position, and then jumping up again. When you land from the jump, your quadriceps muscles will stretch as you bend your knees and then contract as you leap up again. This pre-stretch lends more power to the second jump.
Some quick safety tips for all plyometrics: When you come down, make an effort to be light on your feet, so your landing is low-impact. And instead of coming down on your whole foot at once, which can aggravate the knees, think of rocking on your foot and land from toe to heel. It’s fine to do these moves on your living room carpet, but think twice if you have hardwood floors (or a low ceiling!).
Check out Health Bistro for more healthy food for thought. See what Lifescript editors are talking about and get the skinny on latest news. Share it with your friends (it’s free to sign up!), and bookmark it so you don’t miss a single juicy post!
Talk to us on Facebook and Twitter!
My Thoughts
Will skipping rope do? I'm all for weight loss and not for weight gain (well, not more weight gain). But plyometrics sound awfully complicated. Maybe I should research it.
No comments:
Post a Comment