Make Like a Bunny and HOP to It!

Well, we couldn't let the Easter Bunny's big day go unnoticed, so in anticipation of tomorrow's egg hunts we're going to pay a little tribute to our main bouncing friend! (Tigger comes in as a close second, but sadly that guy doesn't boast of his own holiday.) Here's the low down on why YOU should be hopping to it:

It's All Plyometric, Baby! Plyometrics revolve around the basis of quick, all-out, intense bursts. Think things like box jumps, high jumps, long jumps, bounding, single leg hops, star jumps...they all tap into those fast twitch muscle fibers and get you feeling the burn FAST. That means you may not need to do many rep's, but do them right and you'll reap the rewards. Doing plyometrics a couple times a week, in non-sequential days, will build up muscle mass and leave you tight and toned. They also crank up that metabolism and leave you burning more calories all day long. Try THIS PLYOMETRIC workout.

Grab a Rope and Jump In! Can you criss-cross apple sauce? Taking a trip back to the schoolyard can pay off for your fitness routine too. Jumping rope is a great way to mix-up your cardio routine, and heck, a lot of fun too. There are lots of ways to play around with a rope and challenge yourself; alternate between standard rope jumping, bursts of chili-pepper fast step jumping, jumping on one leg, adding a high bunny-style jump ever few revolutions, traveling around while jumping, there are lots of things you can do. Also, for parents, this is a great way to get the kids involved and excited about working out...make it a game! Try THIS JUMPING ROPE workout!

Jumping 'n Climbing! Jumping and plyometrics can easily be integrated into stairs...both get you higher in elevation and both get you firing those fast twitch muscles. They are also both excellent at giving your butt a nice LIFT and granting you an enviable pair of legs. Try THIS STAIR JAMMER workout!

Jump to Better ABs! You read it right, use the plyometic method to rock a better core. Getting abs is tricky because the first hurdle is getting rid of any excess flab covering those muscles. So that means you need to be dedicated to your cardio as well as doing core work. For the time crunched, you can use a plyomtric move, the Burpee, and combine both cardio and ab work. That way you get your heart rate up, burning that fat, and then use ab exercises to tone up. Try THE BURPEE BELLY BLASTER workout!

Alright, so hopefully this gives you plenty of ideas and inspiration to start doing more jumping yourself...even if you don't believe in the Easter Bunny!