Jumping is a type of locomotion that has many forms. It occurs in everyday life, but is also part of many sports.
What is jumping?
Jumping is a complex process characterized by pushing the body off the ground with one or both legs more or less forcefully and reaching a trajectory. Jumping is a complex process characterized by the body being pushed off the ground with one or both legs with more or less force and reaching a trajectory. The final stage is the landing, which can be very diverse and may be achieved only after a falling phase. Depending on the objective, the jump achieves height, distance or a combination of the two. Although the force impulse for the take-off comes from the legs, other body regions are also involved in the unfolding of the jump. Co-movements of the upper body and arms can contribute some force and make the mechanical conditions more favorable. The calf muscles provide the main takeoff energy, actively supported by the hip and knee extensors. For powerful jumps, it is more favorable from a biomechanical point of view if the movement comes from a slightly pre-stretched position of all muscles involved. The knee, hip joints and upper body start from a flexed position, the arms from a lower position. All components are stretched more or less at the same time during jumping, and the arms are moved up or forward at the top.
Function and task
In everyday life, jumping is often used to overcome obstacles. Depending on the height and depth, the intensity of jumping varies greatly. Light jumps are also called hops and occur, for example, when crossing puddles. When climbing over walls and fences, the hands can be used for support. Children use jumps deliberately in certain types of play such as jumping rope, rubber mitts, or hopscotch. A usually intense form of jumping occurs during protective reactions. Quick evasive movements in front of obstacles that suddenly appear require fast and energetic action. Numerous sporting activities are characterized by jumps or include them. Almost all ball sports contain jumping elements that are characterized by the simultaneous overcoming of height and distance, although the vertical aspect often predominates. Most often, the energy from running is utilized for the movement activities. These activities include the headers in soccer, the jump shots in handball, and the often spectacular jumps in basketball. In volleyball, the climb to block or to smash is characterized by a purely vertical movement, initiated by a powerful stem step and supported by an intense use of the arms . The athletic disciplines of long jump, high jump and triple jump already bear the term that characterizes them in their names. To gain height in the high jump, the energy of running is converted into vertical energy by stopping the jumping leg on one side. The powerful stretching movements of the trunk and the lifting of the arms are important components for the height of the trajectory and the execution of the movement. In the long jump disciplines, the energy of the fast approach is converted much more directly. There is no stopping at take-off, but a forward upward push-off, through which the running energy is converted into flight energy. The height development is much less than in the high jump. In some sports, the take-off is used as a start for a falling phase. This is performed very intensively by the aerobatic jumpers, who make great use of the elastic springboard to first reach a lot of height before the execution and shaping of the fall phase begins.
Diseases and ailments
Musculoskeletal injuries can prevent or yet significantly affect jumping either directly or indirectly by causing pain. These include all types of muscle injuries, not only to the legs but also to the torso. Strains or muscle fiber tears of the calf and anterior thigh muscles are just as much a part of this as those in the abdominal or back muscles. Fractures are an absolute hindrance to jumping, whether they occur in the foot, leg bones, vertebrae, or ribs, for example. Specific injuries that make jumping impossible include a rupture of the Achilles tendon or a complete rupture of the patellar tendon.In addition to pain, these traumas result in a total loss of function of the associated muscles. Degenerative diseases also significantly hinder jumping. Painful arthritic changes in the hip or knee joint progressively restrict all joint and muscle functions in the respective area. Motor activities, which include jumping, can be performed less and less and, depending on the intensity, are sooner or later no longer possible at all. Lumbago as a result of intervertebral disc degeneration in the lumbar region abruptly leads to a spasmodic rigidity of movement, which primarily affects abrupt and rapid movements such as jumping. All neurological diseases that affect motor function have a negative impact on the ability to jump. Peripheral nerve lesions result in flaccid paralysis of the supplied muscles. If this affects the muscles responsible for jumping, it has negative consequences for this movement process. Coordination disorders, as they occur after a stroke or in the context of other neurological disease patterns with central nervous damage, no longer allow the execution of jumps. Parkinson’s disease is characterized by the fact that locomotion gradually becomes more and more difficult as the drive to move is lost. Even walking becomes more difficult as movements gradually freeze. With increasing age, the action capacity of the entire musculature decreases. This has consequences for all movement processes, especially those that are performed quickly, powerfully and with high intensity. The amplitude of movement in jumping becomes progressively smaller and the execution increasingly difficult and strenuous.
