Learning to jump higher is valuable for sports like basketball and volleyball, but it’s also a good way to exercise and increase your strength. People who jump higher can even sprint faster. With the right training, you can easily add several inches to your jump height, which makes a significant difference, since the average person can barely jump more than a foot. So let’s explore some strategies to maximize your jump height!
Strengthen Your Legs
Strong leg muscles are essential for jumping, and the stronger they are, the more explosive your jumps can be. Work on exercises that use your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles. For example, you could try squats and lunges. While performing these movements with just body weight is effective, you can also add weight to squats and perform forward, reverse, and lateral lunges to increase your progress.
Calf raises are another good exercise for strengthening your legs and increasing your jump height. Stand on the edge of a step or platform, raise your heels as high as possible, and then lower them as slowly as you can.
Plyometric Training
Plyometric exercises enhance your power and explosiveness, and they’ve been scientifically shown to increase jump height. These movements involve rapid muscle contractions and increase your muscles’ ability to move quickly. Bounding, or moving in long, leaping strides like a long jump, can increase your power and speed.
Other exercises involve a sturdy box or platform, or even the bottom step of a staircase, like box jumps (jumping up onto it and stepping back down) or depth jumps, where you step off a platform and then jump upward as hard as you can immediately upon landing. Plyometric exercises like these train your muscles to respond quickly.
Improve Flexibility
When you increase your flexibility, you improve your range of motion and reduce the possibility of injuring yourself. Focus on dynamic stretches like leg swings and arm circles before a workout, and static stretches, where you stretch and hold for 20 to 30 seconds after a workout.
Perfect Your Technique
Jumping technique matters! Swing your arms vigorously as you jump. The upward motion of your arms contributes to your lift-off. Bend your knees before the jump for more upward motion, but not too far — if you bend your knees too deeply, it makes it more difficult for you to rise quickly. When you land, bend your knees again to absorb the impact, and avoid landing with straight legs.
Rest and Recovery
Your muscles need time to recover and adapt. Make sure to include rest days between training sessions to prevent burnout or overtraining. You also need to get adequate sleep, at least seven to nine hours per night (depending on age), and eat protein-rich foods to repair muscle tissue. Proper nutrition, sleep, and other healthy habits won’t just support muscle recovery but also keep them in optimal shape so you can perform the best your body is capable of!
