Exercises to Jump Higher

Strong muscles is the basic requirement for jumping higher. Exercises to jump higher are performed by athletes and basketball players in order to jump higher in the air. These particular exercises are known as Plyometric exercises and are the ones that are usually done to improve the athletic movements of the body. These exercises to jump higher are also included in the training of volleyball players.

Exercises to Jump Higher - Warm Up
The foremost thing that must be done before you start off with the exercise session is, to do warm up exercises. Stretching exercises and techniques can help you warm up. A few minutes of light jogging can help to warm up the muscles and you can perform the exercises with ease.

Exercises to Jump Higher - Some Drills
There are many exercises to help you jump higher. However, here I have filtered out the popular and effective exercises to jump higher. Here are some of the exercises meant to improve your vertical leap and help you jump higher.

Toe Raises
Stand on your legs with a distance, equal to your shoulder width, between the two legs. Now, raise your feet and stand on the tips of your toes. You will feel a stretch in your calves and thighs. Come down to the original position. Repeat this for 15-20 times.

Toes Raises (With Weights)
The above mentioned toe raises are also performed wearing weights. Start with smaller weights and then gradually increase the weights weekly.

Knee Bends
In order to perform this exercise to jump higher, stand upright and slowly bend your knees. While you are bending your knees, make sure that your back is straight. Bend your knees and slowly go in a downward direction. Remember, do not bend the knees more than your and their capacity. If bending after a certain point is painful, stop at that point itself. Do not overdo the bending because it may lead to serious injuries.

Knee Bend Jumps
The above exercise can be done with a slight change. Do the above exercise up to a point where you bend your knees and while coming up jump in the air and again retain the original position of bending your knees.

Jumping with a Skipping Rope
Jumping using a jump rope is the best exercise to jump higher. Jumping with a skipping rope can be done anywhere. This is one of the most effective exercises to jump higher.

Stomach Crunches
Crunches work really great for increasing the vertical leap, as it strengthens the back muscles. Simple crunches help to jump higher in the air. For performing crunches, lie down on the ground and fold your hands below the neck, so as to support your neck. Lift your shoulders from the ground and lie down in the original position. Perform these simple crunches, starting with a count of 25-30 and increase the count weekly.

Plyometric Exercises
Plyometric exercises are done to strengthen the muscles of the leg and back. These exercises increase the responsiveness of the body. Plyometric exercises involve contraction of muscles, followed by an explosive movement to relax the muscles. Also, these exercises are done with weights. A jump squat is a type of plyometric exercise that can be done with or without weights. For doing a jump squat, bend down in a squat and then explode in air by jumping as high as possible.

Regular Workout
A regular workout is essential along with these exercises. These workouts must include exercises that will help to strengthen the muscles of abdomen, back and legs. These muscles generate a lot of power when you jump higher.

These are some of the exercises to jump higher. Increasing the flexibility of the body is important to jump higher, as tight muscles cannot help you in taking that huge leap.