The five-minute exercise that is brilliant for health

That’s one of the main reasons why boxers often jump as a way to train for fights, both experts say.

“If you watch a boxer jump, you’ll see that his feet are barely off the ground, whereas amateurs will jump four inches in the air to make sure the rope is under their feet,” says Dr. Homer. Achieving this level of skillful movement allows boxers to move quickly and be maximally coordinated.

“Agility becomes very important as you get older,” explains Wong. “If you’re walking somewhere and you slip, but you happen to be jumping a lot, then your body is going to be much more used to leaning and correcting so that it protects you from injury.”

Skip it to improve bone health

While it might not seem like a natural fit in a category shared by rugby, football and tennis, jumping is very much an impact activity – meaning your joints are under stress while your legs or other body parts hit the ground.

In the long run, an impact sports lifestyle can be bad for your joints, but these exercises can do a great job. strengthening your bones.

“You’re jumping up and down, so that form of impact with your feet hitting the ground is great for maintaining bone density,” says Dr. Homer.

This can be especially effective for women. A 2014 study found that jumping 10 times in a row twice a day for four months, with 30 seconds between each jump, increased their hip bone mineral density by 0.5 percent.

Meanwhile, a control group (who didn’t do any jumping) saw their own bone mineral density drop by 1.3 percent over the same four months.

Skip to build muscle

The jump will not be give your calves the size of a boulder – “you don’t have enough strength on your muscles while you’re jumping to make them bigger,” Wong explains—but what they’ll do is build your endurance.

This is yet another reason why jumping is loved by boxers, and it’s one that should make jumping a favorite exercise for people who want to stay in shape as they age.

“Skipping may not make your calves and feet grow, but it will make them stronger,” explains Wong.

This is an important fact because muscle mass begins to decline precipitously after age 40, says Dr. Homer. “Compared to weightlifting, jumping puts relatively little stress on your body. But compared to a walk, a five-minute jump will do a lot more for your strength,” he explains. “It can help you maintain the muscle mass you have as you age.”

However, resuming jumping in middle age or later should be done with caution. “You have to make sure your joints are strong enough to handle the impact,” advises Wong.

“Jumping and jumping can put a lot of stress on your ankles, knees and hips. If you have injuries or joint pain I wouldn’t advise you to start skipping. It might be wise to start swimming as this will be very gentle on the joints.”

If you’re going to try jumping, it might be worth working up to a five-minute jump in 30-second chunks, increasing each week as your body gets used to the new exercise.

How come

Once you have a good rhythm, jumping is “super easy to do and cost effective,” Wong says. Here he shares three ways to kick things up a notch and make the most of a five-minute jump.

1. The stationary jump

To strengthen your leg bones and practice rhythm, you need to jump well