Have you always been wanting to jump that wee bit higher, and failed? Are you finding it difficult to break the threshold and set new standards? Well, do not worry; we are here to help you! One of the best ways of improving your vertical leap ability is to exercise for it. Easier written than done, these exercises are difficult to start off with and can be bad for those who already have some sort of injuries etc. People having injuries in the back, on the toes and around the hip region are suggested to consult a doctor before trying any of these exercises out.
Before starting out with these exercises, it is suggested that you warm up nicely. Jog around for a while and stretch your calve, hamstring and back muscles. You can also do a few Yoga postures for relaxing your spinal chord before getting on with these exercises. You can also run up and down the staircase, in case you do not have any other option of warming up. As a word of caution, please note that you refrain from warming up too much and ending up injuring your muscles.
The most common and easy to do of all vertical leap enhancing workouts is the knee roll or knee bend. Stand straight, and bed your knees while keeping the back straight. This is a great workout to strengthen your toes, hips, calves and hamstrings. Another variation of this workout is that while bending your knees, you can stretch your hands straight, such that they are exactly at right angles to your chest in the forward direction. The hands-stretched out variation is slightly more difficult to do, but you should be able to get hold of this over time. Start with 15 repetitions and more to 20, 30 and 50 with time.
Another variation of the knee bend is the knee-bend and jump variation. This is an all in all workout for those looking to increase their vertical lift (or high jumping threshold). Repeat the steps as described above, refrain from stretching your arms forward in this case. Try and get as close to the ground as possible while crouching and then just shoot up in the air. Try and pull your body upward, just like a cat does while leaping upward. Once you get back on the ground, give your lower body a split second to rest and then crouch back again and go off in the air just like before. This is a slightly more difficult exercise to repeat and you can start with 5-10 repetitions and move it up to 20-35 with time.
Apart from these two exercises, there are a number of exercises that you can try. These are more general workouts. For instance, ab-crunches and skipping on the rope can also help you in gaining more height each time you endeavor to jump vertically. So, keep working out and keep going higher and higher!
