Shoulder Abduction During

a Jumping Jack
Brooklyn Jeter
Introduction.
A jumping jack is an exercise where the legs and
arms are moving away from the midline at the
same time. While doing the exercise, the body
looks like a star.
Was invented by an army general in Missouri.

Research Question
What is the angular
velocity of the
shoulder and linear
velocity of the hand
during a jumping
jack?
Significance
Jumping jacks are often used in fitness workouts,
elementary gym classes, sports warm up etc., so
knowing the velocity of the elbow and arm can lead to
less injuries.
Also this motion is used in certain sports positions like a
wide receiver catching a ball, or a basketball player
throwing a overhead throw.

EX. Rotators cuff or elbow injuries
Methods
The video was recorded using an iPhone 4s, which was
held by a tripod.
The Variables at interest are angular velocity and linear
velocity.
Kinovea was used to measure the angles, which helped
to determine the angular displacement, and the stop
watch feature helped to measure the time. Also the line
segment feature helped to determine the linear
displacement of the hand.



Angular Velocity
Angular velocity= Angular
displacement/ time
= 3.2/.63 = 5.1 rad/sec
Angle 1= 231/57.3= 4 radians
Angle 2= 45/57.3=.79 radians
Angular Displacement= 4-.79=3.2
rad
Time= .63 seconds
Linear Velocity of the hand
Linear
velocity=displacement/time
V=1.21/.67=1.8 m/sec
Displacement= 1.21m
Time=.67 sec
Discussion
Knowing the velocity and time it takes for a person to abduct
their shoulder can help with performance and also help to
prevent injuries.
Athletes like wide receivers can probably predict when to jump
and catch the ball more effectively.
Physical therapist can also analyze how much progress a patient
with a rotators cuff injury is making by measuring their
shoulder angles or ROM.