By Miguel J. Ortiz
Jumping is a task that we dive into at a young age. It starts when we are very young, between 2 and 3 years old. We continue to jump as we get older. It is a movement that can be quick and smooth or powerful and intense. Running or sprinting can very much be considered single leg bounds done repeatedly, jump rope is an ankle bounding drill and then there is the classic box jump. All of which are variations of simple and advanced plyometrics, which are intense bursts of activity that target fast-twitch muscle fibers.
By doing these types of movements, individuals can improve cardiovascular health, metabolism, bone density strength, muscle tone, balance and coordination. If you are already involved in a sport, then I have some quality and challenging movements you can work into your training routine. If you’re a beginner then let’s start with the following.
First, we need to improve ankle stability. Light bounding drills like step ups on shorter steps help, but make them faster or high knee marches. The ability to get into a light jog for a short amount of time or a jump rope drill is helpful. I have personally had a client just laterally jump over the jump rope itself while it is lying on the ground. It is not much to jump over, but it’s a start. So, have fun and take your time building up your plyometric ability.
For those looking to improve your jumping ability, maybe help the pickleball game a little, this next exercise is for you. The Double Broad Jump is a fantastic movement for anyone doing drills that require speeding up and slowing down as the ability to reload into another broad jump requires acceleration and deacceleration changes. Focus on making the movement look clean and smooth, you don’t want sloppy and unstable.
For those of you ready to start challenging the hip unilaterally I give you the Split Jump Squat. It is a little more advanced than the previous exercise. This movement will expose any imbalances on either side of the body pretty quickly. It is a great movement for challenging balance and plyometrics as you are taking off and landing as evenly as possible with the same amount of force. To execute it properly requires increased core awareness. You want to have a higher sense of focus on control and stability during the movement.
If your sport or activity requires change of direction or stability this next exercise can help. Also, if you are currently using ladders or high steps then this drill could be for you. The Lateral High knee to ice skater is a great exercise for those looking to increase speed, agility and quickness. It can be manipulated easily to fit your sport. I’ve used variations with a variety of athletes from lacrosse players to snowboarders. The combination of quick feet with single leg stability and power also challenges the cardiovascular system. So, if your sport or activity requires some endurance this can be very helpful. Plug in your sport, and this move can be manipulated just for you.
Regardless of your ability, a little bit of jumping each day might actually keep the doctor away as strange as that sounds. Stay safe and have fun improving your plyometric ability.
