Jumping Jack
Encyclopedia
A jumping jack stride jump (Canada) or star jump (UK and other Commonwealth
nations), also called side-straddle hop in the US military, is a physical jumping exercise performed by jump
ing to a position with the legs
spread wide and the hand
s touching overhead and then returning to a position with the feet
together and the arm
s at the sides. The jumping jack name comes from the traditional toy of the same name
, while "star jump" refers to the person's appearance with legs and arms spread.
More intensive versions of this jump include bending down (over) and touching the floor in between each jump.
A similar jump exercise is called half-jacks, which were created to prevent rotator cuff
injuries, which have been linked to the repetitive movements of the exercise. They are just like regular jumping jacks, but the arms go halfway above the head instead of all the way above the head. The arms also hit the sides to help tighten the jump.
Although he played no part in inventing the exercise, the late fitness expert Jack LaLanne
was given credit for popularizing the exercise in the United States
. LaLanne utilized the jumping exercise during routines he promoted in decades of television fitness programming.
According to the Guinness World Records
, the world record for most Jumping Jacks (Star-Jumps) in one minute is 108, and belongs to American
Lawrence Bond.
Ashrita Furman
set the Guiness World Record for consecutive jumping jacks in 1979 at 27,000.
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
nations), also called side-straddle hop in the US military, is a physical jumping exercise performed by jump
Jump
Jump may refer to:* Jumping, to propel oneself rapidly upward such that momentum causes the body to become airborne* To get attacked by a group of people e.g...
ing to a position with the legs
Human leg
The human leg is the entire lower extremity or limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh and even the hip or gluteal region; however, the precise definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle.Legs are used for standing,...
spread wide and the hand
Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
s touching overhead and then returning to a position with the feet
Foot
The foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws...
together and the arm
Arm
In human anatomy, the arm is the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the elbow joints. In other animals, the term arm can also be used for analogous structures, such as one of the paired forelimbs of a four-legged animal or the arms of cephalopods...
s at the sides. The jumping jack name comes from the traditional toy of the same name
Jumping jack (toy)
The jumping-jack is a toy whose origins date back thousands of years. The jointed jumping-jack figure is a cross between a puppet and a paper doll. The figures are generally made from wood. Their limbs are jointed and tied to a pull string...
, while "star jump" refers to the person's appearance with legs and arms spread.
More intensive versions of this jump include bending down (over) and touching the floor in between each jump.
A similar jump exercise is called half-jacks, which were created to prevent rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
injuries, which have been linked to the repetitive movements of the exercise. They are just like regular jumping jacks, but the arms go halfway above the head instead of all the way above the head. The arms also hit the sides to help tighten the jump.
Although he played no part in inventing the exercise, the late fitness expert Jack LaLanne
Jack LaLanne
Francois Henri "Jack" LaLanne was an American fitness, exercise, and nutritional expert and motivational speaker who is sometimes called "the godfather of fitness" and the "first fitness superhero." He described himself as being a "sugarholic" and a "junk food junkie" until he was 15...
was given credit for popularizing the exercise in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. LaLanne utilized the jumping exercise during routines he promoted in decades of television fitness programming.
According to the Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
, the world record for most Jumping Jacks (Star-Jumps) in one minute is 108, and belongs to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Lawrence Bond.
Ashrita Furman
Ashrita Furman
Ashrita Furman has set more than 300 Guinness records since 1979 and currently holds131 Guinness records. He has set records on all seven continents and in more than 30 different countries...
set the Guiness World Record for consecutive jumping jacks in 1979 at 27,000.