Using plyometrics is often associated with sports like football, basketball, and track, but there are other sports where you can get big results from plyometrics exercises. For instance, using plyometrics for cheerleading can make it easier to do the acrobatic jumps that cheerleading squads are known for. If you’re looking to improve the power of your cheerleading squad so you can use some more impressive choreography. When doing plyometrics for cheerleading, the focus is on developing leg power, and what follows are some exercises to help with that.

Starting Small: Warm-Ups

The best way to start out with plyometrics for cheerleading is to incorporate plyometrics in your warm-up routines. Have your squad jump up and down, using the power of their ankles and calves to get as much air as possible, jumping again as soon as their feet hit the ground again. This is a simple, low impact plyometrics exercise for cheerleading that can get started on improvements right away.

Skipping

Though it sounds too easy to be true, skipping can make a great plyometrics exercise for cheerleading. Start with your cheerleaders standing upright with one foot slightly forward, arms at their sides. Push off with the back leg while lifting the forward knee as high as you can, then immediately switch legs and repeat with the opposite leg. It’s the raising of the legs high that gives them extra power when coming down, which results in further gains from plyometrics.

Speed Tucks

A little harder to do, speed tucks will increase your power for jumps as well. Start by standing outright, then drop down to a quarter squat position before jumping up as explosively as possible, arms swinging to add momentum. At the height of the jump, the cheerleaders should bring their knees up towards their chests, and then, when landing, should go down into a deep squat. These can be difficult to do, but will lead to great increases in jumping ability.

Lunges

If the heavy jumping doesn’t seem to work well or if you need something that’s a little less difficult, have your cheerleaders lift one leg up high in the air, getting the knee as high as possible, then go forward in a lunge, back leg straight. The speed of this exercise should be fast when the leg goes up and slow when going down. After each lunge, return to a standing position. This slower-paced exercise is an example of low impact plyometrics for cheerleading, and can help your cheerleaders develop leg power without as much risk of injury. So, whether you go for the explosive motions of speed tucks, or lower impact exercises, plyometrics for cheerleading will help your squad to perform better jumps than ever before.