Exercise Library:Jump and Reach

Step 1

Starting Position: Downward Phase: Begin your downward phase by first shifting your hips backwards then slowly moving downwards to create a hinge-like movement at your knees. Continue to lower yourself until your feel your heels about to lift off the floor. Try to maintain a flat back by bending forward at the hips, keep your head facing forward and position to your arms where comfortable or where they offer the greatest degree of balance support. Extend your shoulders and reach your arms behind you to prepare the arm swing forward and upwards which will help with the upward momentum of the jump.

Step 2

Jumping Movement: With ONLY a very brief pause at the bottom of your downward phase, explode upwards through your lower extremity, achieving triple extension (pushing and extending your ankles, knees and hips simultaneously). As you jump into the air, keep your feet level with each other and parallel with the floor as you explode your arms forward and throw them up in the air reaching overhead to help create upwards momentum away from the ground.

Step 3

Extend all the way through the body to create a straight line from your toes up through you arms and out of your hands. When landing, land on the mid-foot rolling backwards towards the heels. Push your hips backwards and downwards to absorb the impacting (ground) forces associated with landing. Attempt to land softly and quietly and avoid locking out your knees on the landing as this may lead to potential knee injuries.

Exercise Variation: To increase the level of difficulty do a knee tuck and pull your knees up towards your chest as you are jumping into the air.

Before jumping become familiar with the movement mechanics by doing a few squats where you squat back into your heels and sink into your hips with your arms extended behind you, stand up from the squat while swinging your arms forward and roll up on your toes, then sink back into your heels; repeat for 4-6 repetitions.