Primary muscles: Core
Secondary muscles: Lower body, shoulders
Equipment: No equipment
PLANK JACKS INSTRUCTIONS
1. Start in a push up position with your feet together.
2. Hop your feet as far as you can and land softly on your toes.
3. Jump again to bring your feet back together and repeat.
PROPER FORM AND BREATHING PATTERN
Don’t let your hips drop, keep your spine stable and try to maintain a slow and steady breathing pattern. Pull your abs in tight and keep a straight line from your shoulders down to your ankles.
EXERCISE BENEFITS
The plank is a great exercise to develop core strength and to alleviate lower back pain. By adding the jumping jacks movement you’re turning this exercise into a great cardio workout that elevates your heart rate and burns even more calories. Doing plank jacks also improves your cardiovascular endurance and increases your metabolism.
DEMONSTRATION
SETS AND REPS
Do plank jacks for 30 seconds to 1 minute or complete 2 or 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions. If you’re a beginner start with regular planks and jumping jacks and practice proper form with these two exercises first.
CALORIES BURNED
To calculate the number of calories burned doing plank jacks, enter your weight and the duration of the exercise:
RELATED FULL BODY EXERCISES
Try these other full body exercises to get your heart rate up and burn even more calories:
Burpees
Frog jumps
Quick feet
Skaters
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