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Is doing 100 jumping jacks a day a good idea to get in shape or lose weight?10
Jumping jacks are among the simplest exercises out there and while we are all familiar with them since almost everyone did them in elementary class, a picture is worth a thousand words so we’ll show you before and after pictures from 100 jumping jacks each day, and I’ll also provide my results to paint a full picture.
Since myself and others saw results, I’ll explain why you should consider doing it too, in addition to whether or not they’re good for weight loss, if they build muscle, if there’s any risks involved, the benefits of jumping jacks and low impact alternatives for those with achy joints.
What Happens If You Do 100 Jumping Jacks a Day?
When someone starts doing 100 jumping jacks every day, some positive changes will occur to the body as a result of adaptations to doing this many jumping jacks daily such as weight loss, increased heart rate and strengthening of the cardiovascular machine, increased muscle definition and improved mood while relieving stress.
Source: SimpleFoto via Canva.com11
They are great for those looking to get into an exercise regimen but are not looking for something that is demanding which they can ease into especially if they have a busy schedule.
Jumping jacks are simple to perform:
- The person stands with their feet together with arms by their sides
- They then proceed to simultaneously jump while spreading their legs apart and also bringing the arms to the sides of the shoulders
- This is the end position and they simply return back to the starting position
- The jumping jacks are completed with a fast tempo while maintaining fluidity to complete the desired rep count.
Jumping jacks are considered a vigorous intensity aerobic exercise and they elicit muscle and bone strengthening and are recommended to be done at least 3 times a week.1
Is 100 Jumping Jacks Enough Exercise for a Day?
Doing 100 jumping jacks can be an effective exercise to be done every day for the purpose of furnishing weight loss.
However it should be understood that jumping jacks alone may not be enough to accomplish fat loss—what’s more, there is no such thing as spot reduction of fat (target) where a certain body area is being targeted for weight loss.2
Or in other words, weight loss manifests itself on the whole body and not a certain area that’s worked out.
Many exercises that are touted for spot reduction such as jumping jacks, crunches and sit ups do not burn that many calories; if enough calories are not being burned similarly to someone who would be eating 500 calories a day for a month, then there is not going to be much fat loss.
An interesting fact is that one pound of fat is approximately equal to 3500 kcal.3 This is not to take away from jumping jacks which are good cardio workout and can help with fat loss, but to get some sufficient calorie deficit (burning more calories than eaten), some variation is required.
To make jumping jacks sufficient as a daily exercise and thrust the body into a fat burning state, they can be combined with high intensity interval training (HIIT) which is alternating between high intensity spurts of training with low intensity exercises such as tabata which is a regimen that gives impressive results for little time consumed.
HIIT are also effective because of a concept known as after-burn—it is essentially the calories expended after a workout which are beyond the normal resting value calories also known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.4
This is the replenishment of oxygen stores, lactic acid removal and adenosine triphosphate resynthesis (ATP-PC) which is an energy molecule for the cells, due to an intense workout and can happen even after 24 hours of exercising.
To take jumping jacks to the next level, they may be even combined with strength training for those that have the time to fit this into their busy schedules. Combining jacks and lifting dumbbells, kettlebells or even weighted barbells can effectively build more muscle. Muscle needs more calories to maintain when at rest which equals more weight loss.
What are The Benefits of Jumping Jacks?
Doing 100 jumping jacks a day confers numerous benefits to those performing them and maintaining consistency in the regimen is key—these include stress relief, weight loss, improves the health of the heart, tones muscles and improves flexibility.
They are a form of plyometric exercises that can make it easier to run faster and jump higher as they work by quickly stretching the muscles known as the eccentric phase and then quickly shortening them known as the concentric phase.
Weight Loss
As stated earlier, jumping jacks can aid someone in their weight loss journey and are a great gateway to starting a regular exercise routine.
However, to ensure that they do help someone lose weight, they should be combined with a HIIT training or strength training otherwise alone, they cannot be relied on as a method on how to lose weight fast in 2 weeks. It is also important to ensure a reduced calorie intake is maintained to encourage fat burning.
Improves Heart Health
As jumping jacks are a form of aerobic exercise, they increase heart rates and really get the heart pumping which improves cardiovascular health. While doing the exercise, demand for oxygen drastically goes up which transfers over to both the lungs and heart making them more efficient.
As a result, blood pressure and pulse can go down, decreasing risks for heart disease and hypertension.
Great Stress Reliever
Jumping jacks are great for someone who simply doesn’t have the time to go do a workout at the gym but is overwhelmed with the daily pressures of life and needs some form of stress relief.5
The rapid and repetitive movement increases blood flow and feel good hormones are released into the bloodstream which enhances mood.
Tones Muscles
Performing 100 jumping jacks a day can help tone muscle, sure they may not turn somebody into a bodybuilder but they can facilitate the increase of muscle mass. Jumping jacks target the lower body including the quads, glutes, hamstrings, calf muscles and hip flexors.
The upper body also gets a workout with the shoulders and core muscles being activated making them stronger and more toned.
Great Addition for HIIT Training
As stated earlier, jumping jacks can be incorporated into HIIT training and be combined with other HIIT training exercises such as sumo squats, side lunges and mountain climbers.
They are easy to do and quick which makes them an ideal component of this kind of training, which is a great technique on how to lose 10-15 pounds in a month.
Improves Flexibility
Many people today live sedentary lives spending hours on the couch or on desks working which causes tight hamstrings, hip flexors and having overall poor flexibility as a result.
Jumping jacks can help loosen the hamstrings and shoulders, particularly when the hands are brought all the way up to the head and braced together above the head. They also help lubricate joints since multiple joints are used which helps keep them working well.
Enhances Stamina and Stability
Jumping jacks enhances the body’s ability to both consume and utilize oxygen. When someone does them for the first time, they are usually out of breath within a couple of reps.
However, the body will adapt and improve its capacity to manage oxygen requirements which means that someone will be able to work out for a longer period of time and they may even add more challenging exercises since it will be relatively easy to do 100 jumping jacks a day.
Serves as a Warm Up
For those not looking at jumping jacks as an exercise and are more experienced fitness enthusiasts, jumping jacks are ideal exercises that double up as a warm up before engaging in a major workout such as deadlifts and back squats.
They can do so because they increase heart rates, activate the muscles of the body and increase the body’s core temperature, placing them in a prime position for a productive workout.
Improves Balance & Coordination
This exercise is helpful to improving balance and coordination because it requires a synchronization of motion between the upper and lower body.
They may sometimes be challenging for those unfamiliar to them and old people who may have balance issues; but the body adapts the more they are done and as a consequence, become adept at doing them. After one month of doing 100 jumping jacks a day, there will be a marked difference in stability and coordination.
Full Body Workout
Jumping jacks engage muscles of the lower body and are a cardio workout but also engage and activate the muscles of the upper body making for a full body workout. They are therefore a form of mixed strength training and aerobic workout.
They use body weight as resistance when thwarting off gravity, thereby increasing strength, while at the same time improving the cardiovascular system.
Improves Bone Density
Since this exercise requires the feet to leave the ground momentarily, they are deemed an open chain exercise. As a result and consequence, there is a form of impact on the joints and bones.
This extra stress makes the bones stronger to cope with the forces placed on them due to an increase in bone strength and density in the same way muscles grow due to strength training.6
It should be noted that jumping jacks may not be ideal for individuals who have issues with their joints, particularly the knees and ankles.
Versatile and Easy Workout
Jumping jacks are an easy, fairly low impact exercise to perform by almost anyone and at any age.
They can also be done anywhere, even in the office! This makes them very versatile and nobody has an excuse for not including them in their day, especially if they live inactive lives and want to start making positive changes in their bodies, want to get their pulse going or just want to embark on a journey on how to manifest your dream body.
Can Doing 100 Jumping Jacks Each Day Cause Harm?
Just like with doing any exercises whether it be running, swimming or strength training, doing 100 jumping jacks each day may cause harm but they are still a relatively safe exercise to do when compared to more demanding ones.
Plyometric exercises are usually associated with certain types of injuries mainly to the joints, in particular the knees and the ankles. The risk of injury is usually for beginners if they start out too hard right off the bat without having some foundation for strength and conditioning.
Those with joint or muscle injuries and issues will find it in their best interest to avoid jumping jacks, but they may consult their physicians to confirm this before embarking on the training regimen. Pregnant women are usually recommended to get 20-30 minutes daily of moderate intensity activity and low impact aerobics are better than higher impact sports like gymnastics.
Before embarking on doing 100 jumping jacks a day or even attempting some jumping jacks, pregnant women should always consult their doctors.
The refreshing news is that most people can do plyometric exercises like jumping jacks and the age of those able to do it spans from children, adolescents to older adults barring those with arthritis and severe osteoporosis.7
1 Month 100 Jumping Jacks a Day Results (Pictures & Stories)
The following are stories of individuals who attempted to incorporate jumping jacks into their daily routines as a means of losing weight, initiating some form of exercising routine and attempting to have better toned physiques for 1 month showing before and after shots of any changes they may have experienced.
Lexi
Lexi had seen a number of videos of people challenging themselves to do jumping jacks everyday trying to lose weight and thought she would try it out herself. She was excited about the journey she was about to undertake and decided to document the whole experience to share it and also hold herself more accountable.
Her goal was to do 200 jumping jacks a day for a month while making changes to her diet and get to the perfect weight she felt she should be at. Lexi felt like she was not at a healthy weight for her body especially since she had thyroid disease and lost 50 lbs.
Some years back but still felt a need to lose another 10 lbs.
Note how her face is thinner on the right. While subtle, it’s still noticeable. Source: Lexi 🤍 on Youtube12
She was hoping to incorporate some exercise into her routine that will help her achieve this weight loss. Before she started the jumping jacks she weighed about 130 lbs.
When she started doing them, she immediately felt more energetic and invigorated; she also felt hot after doing them.
After her first round of jumping jacks, she woke up quite sore the next day which she thought was an indication that she was out of shape.
Once she reached the 5th day, she felt that she was getting better although her legs still hurt, but they were getting easier to do and she was enjoying doing them.
After a couple of days, Lexi’s legs were not hurting much, but she felt that she was gaining some muscle; her face started getting skinnier and she lost a pound by this time.
In the middle of the challenge, she had lost 3 lbs. and saw some slight changes in her belly with some tightening and toning—there was no more soreness in her body. Lexi did miss some days, and when she did, she felt some loss of energy and didn’t really feel good in the morning, feeling less of a ‘pump’.
Towards the end of her challenge, Lexi could now do 30-40 jumping jacks at a time without resting whereas before she started, she could barely do 10 without needing to rest. Overall, Lexi did see some increase in toning of the muscles around the gut; she did not lose much weight, just 2 lbs from the whole challenge.
Lexi actually did twice the number of jumping jacks which would make someone think that the results would be better, but the results were anything but overwhelming.
Eki
Before doing the challenge, Eki weighed 176 lbs. and her waist size was 31 inches, her arms were 14 inches and lower belly was 36 inches. Her goal was to do 10 minutes of jumping jacks every day for 7 days which was approximately 250 jumping jacks a day.
Eki was not on any strict diet and just had a lot of homemade meals similarly to intuitive eating since she didn’t count calories.
She felt the challenge was not easy, especially in the beginning and did not use a training mat initially. However, she had to use one on the second day as her toenails hurt.
Eki highly recommends using shoes or a training mat for the exercise to avoid this pain and potential blisters forming. She also advises to stretch out after completing the workout to feel less sore the next day.
After the 7th day, Eki’s results were noticeable with her body weight coming in at 171.6 lbs., however, her arms remained the same and she lost 1 inch off her waist size and belly size.
Can You Lose Weight By Doing 100 Jumping Jacks Per Day?
Doing 100 jumping jacks a day can cause some weight loss if the calorie intake is monitored and a deficit is maintained. Plenty of vegetables should be eaten, lean proteins such as chicken or fish should be included in the nutrition diet, healthy fats such as olive oil nuts, seeds and dietary fiber should be increased.
There needs to be an exclusion of foods containing high amounts of sugar and junk food as well.
However, as mentioned before, while it is possible to lose some weight doing jumping jacks, they should not be solely relied on to accomplish this as they are not very efficient as burning calories which someone will need to effectively burn fat.
They should be combined with HIIT exercises, strength training and cardio sessions to effectively burn calories. With that being said, 100 jumping jacks a day can still help someone start the journey to losing weight.
How Many Calories Does 100 Jumping Jacks Burn?
Jumping jacks in of themselves do not burn a high number of calories—a 150 lbs. person (average weight) doing 100 jumping jacks which is about 2 minutes long would approximately burn 20 kcal. If more are done in different sessions for a total time of 10 minutes, then the calories burned can be expected to be 94 kcal.
A person weighing 125 lbs. will burn around 240 kcal after a 5 mile run—this is incidentally the amount of calories that are contained in a bottle of coke.8 If combined with a big mac and French fries, the calories shoot up to 1080 kcal.
It can be deduced from these numbers that jumping jacks alone cannot be a sole calorie burner and an effective way to induce a 1000 calorie deficit.
If you aim to burn more calories, comparing jumping jacks vs jump rope, the latter burns slightly more calories.
Can 100 Jumping Jacks Everyday Build Muscle?
Performing 100 jumping jacks everyday does target muscles of both the upper and lower body—the quads, core, shins and calves are activated with the traps, deltoids and lats among the muscles of the upper body that receive a workout.
The higher and faster someone jumps when doing jumping jacks, the more strength, power and muscle development that takes place on individuals. In a nutshell, jumping jacks can help build muscle but they’re far from the best option.
Those looking to build massive muscle mass in the upper and lower body will need to resort to serious strength training programs to adequately stimulate muscle growth and this beginner guide is the perfect place to start!9
Alternatives to 100 jumping Jacks a Day
There are a number of alternatives to doing 100 jumping jacks a day, especially for those individuals who may have joint issues in the knees and ankles and are looking for lower impact sizes that could still give them some benefits—these include half jacks, floor jack splits and single-leg balance hip abductions.
X-Step Out
These work the glutes, hips, and core muscles and are ideal for those who spend a good deal of the day sitting. They may be done with a band and involve someone standing and reaching their arms overhead in opposite diagonals. The legs are then simultaneously stepped out with a 50/50 proportion of the body weight on both feet.
Half-Jack
Similar to the jumping jack, this eliminates the jumping part of the workout while reducing the range of motion which is beneficial for those with shoulder issues. The jumping is replaced with a toe tap out which is more forgiving on the knees.
While standing, the arms are raised to the height of the shoulders while simultaneously tapping one foot to the side while maintaining body weight stable on the other leg, step in and repeat.
Single Leg Balance Hip Abduction
The single leg balance hip abduction is great at activating the gluteus and hip abductors. It is a kinder exercise on the shoulders and there is no impact, making it great for the knees. It’s a challenging exercise because it demands the sides of the glutes to pull the leg being worked off the ground while the other leg is stable.
They are done by standing and arms abducted to shoulder height and then proceeding to simultaneously lift one leg while having the foot flexed and pausing for a moment and repeating with the next leg.
Floor Jack Splits
Floor jack spits are an exercise that engages both the upper and lower body targeting quads, chest and abs. They are performed with backs flat on the ground while driving the spine down by pushing in the belly button and then proceeding to lift the head, arms and legs and perform the movement the same way jumping jacks are done.
They have no impact on the knees and ankles, however those with shoulder issues may have trouble doing these.
100 jumping jacks a day is a great way for most people to get their fitness journey up and running or for anyone simply looking to get healthy and reap its benefits; the 1 Month results showing before and after shots should be enough motivation to give them a try and provide a springboard to include them as a start to more robust exercise regimens.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the most popular sports in the U.S. and the world and is an ideal low impact exercise for those that may be suffering from joint issues since the water gives the body buoyancy putting less pressure on the joints. Swimming can even be done by those with physical disabilities.
It is an ideal exercise because it gives the body a full workout targeting most muscles of the body building strength, helps tone the muscles and increases endurance. It is great for the cardiovascular system, burns plenty of calories, helps manage stress and is a mood enhancer.
It can be done by nearly everyone from pregnant women to old people to children. It is versatile, enjoyable and an efficient exercise. No equipment is required except a swimsuit and goggles which are optional, and of course a pool!
Biking
Biking, also known as cycling, is a low impact exercise that is enjoyed by people of all ages from children to older adults and has numerous benefits. It helps build muscle in the lower body including the quads, calves and hamstring and in some instances those of the upper body such as the forearms and shoulders.
Biking can be used for weight loss and is a calorie burner. It can be enjoyed both outdoors using bicycles or using stationary bikes indoors for those that don’t have time to go outside such as the peloton for overweight beginners.
It is gentle on the joints, and can therefore be done by those with joint issues. In fact, by building the muscles around the knees, it may help alleviate the symptoms of knee pain.
Doing jumping jacks a day is a great way for most people to get their fitness journey up and running, or for anyone simply looking to get healthy and reap its benefits.
The 1 month results showing before and after shots from 100 jumping jacks a day should be enough motivation to give them a try and provide a springboard to include them as a start to more robust exercise regimens.
References
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2Antonio Paoli, A. C. (2021, April 6). Effect of an Endurance and Strength Mixed Circuit Training on Regional Fat Thickness: The Quest for the “Spot Reduction”. Retrieved 2022, from <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8038840/>
3Diana M. Thomas, M. C. (2014, March 31). Time to Correctly Predict the Amount of Weight Loss with Dieting. Retrieved 2022, from <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4035446/>
4Chantal A. Vella, L. K. (2022). Exercise After-Burn: Research Update. Retrieved 2022, from <https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/epocarticle.html>
5Government, Q. (2018, March 12). 5 ways to reduce stress right now. Retrieved 2022, from <https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/news/how-to-reduce-stress-right-now>
6Umemura, Y. (2017). The effects of jumping exercise on bones. Retrieved 2022, from <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28017947/>
7Gregory A. Tayrose, M. G. (2015, May 7). The Masters Athlete. Retrieved 2022, from <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4482301/>
8School, H. H. (2021, March 8). Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights. Retrieved 2022, from <https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-for-people-of-three-different-weights>
9BRAD J. SCHOENFELD, B. C. (2018, December 14). Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Retrieved 2022, from <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6303131/>
10Corbalan, Joaquin. Canva. Accessed 15 April 2023. <https://www.canva.com/photos/MADcVLkDHfA-mature-woman-doing-jumping-jacks-outdoors/>
11SimpleFoto. Canva. Accessed 15 April 2023. <https://www.canva.com/photos/MAAftZrDvhs-three-young-adults-exercising-in-the-park/>
12“I did 200 jumping jacks every day for a month. Here is my journey and results!” YouTube, 28 May 2021. Accessed 1 April 2023. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH3cVgdy6Ks>