Which Increases My Heart Rate the Most, Jumping Jacks, Sit Ups or Running in Place?

Sit-Ups
Running in Place
Jumping Jacks
Considerations

Written by Alexandra Rippy

08 July, 2011

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The heart rate can easily be increased through an array of exercises. When concerning weight loss, it is best to have your heart rate increased through exercise, as it will also increase your caloric burn and metabolic rate. While most exercise is beneficial, some exercises have a greater impact on your heart rate than others.

Sit-Ups

Sit-ups may increase your heart rate, but not dramatically. A study released from The American Council on Exercise explained that sit-ups are useless. The study then recommended doing exercises that lead to a long muscular contraction, as opposed to the brief contraction from the sit-up.

Running in Place

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Running in place will increase your heart rate, but may be difficult to maintain. If you want to run in place to have an impact on your heart rate, you must raise your knees to your chest with every step you take, which can be challenging. While this is a great way to quickly increase your heart rate, it is still not as effective as other exercises, nor easy to execute.

Jumping Jacks

When concerning sit-ups and running in place, jumping jacks are more effective at increasing the heart rate. This is an effective exercise to increase the heart rate because it is a high-impact exercise that requires you to jump while raising your arms and opening your legs. For every jump you land, you contract the muscles in the lower body, thus building strength. According to FatBurn.com, this exercise can burn up to 10 calories a minute for a person who weights 150 lbs 2.

When concerning sit-ups and running in place, jumping jacks are more effective at increasing the heart rate.
This is an effective exercise to increase the heart rate because it is a high-impact exercise that requires you to jump while raising your arms and opening your legs.

Considerations

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Consult your physician prior to partaking in any exercise regimen. Keep in mind that all individuals perform exercises at different speeds, therefore, running in place may increase your heart rate more than jumping jacks if you are running at an increased speed and raising your knees for every step. You will determine what increases your heart rate the most, depending on your level of exertion.