Jumping jacks are one of those HIIT exercises that we’ve all been performing since our elementary school days, but they’re not a good fit for everyone. This popular move isn’t so great for your joints, and here are three knee-friendly, low-impact alternatives to try instead.
Half Jacks
Performing jumping jacks halfway through makes all the difference when it comes to your knees. You don’t have to lift your arms all the way above your head when doing this exercise, and the range of motion is significantly cut to avoid potential injuries.
Side Jacks
Jumping to spread your feet and then jumping again to bring them back together is one of the worst parts of doing jumping jacks. You can substitute jumps with heel taps in this low-impact variation that is much better for your body because it doesn’t add too much pressure on your hip and knee joints.
Plank Jacks
Planks are one of the most popular core exercises on the market, and the list of variations is pretty much endless. This exercise is all about performing jumping jacks in plank position, but no jumping is actually involved because your hands and toes are on the floor the whole time.
