The goal of many professional or recreational athletes is to jump higher in order to improve their goals. This desire reflects mostly football players, baseball players, high jumpers, long jumpers, even soccer players and maybe the most famous of all of them, basketball players. I don't think there is a person in this world who doesn't feel the thrill when someone slams the ball through the basket.

Most of you probably thought, at least for the moment, something like: "why can't I do that?" Well, believe it or not, you actually can. You just need to be persistent and put some effort into it. Bam! Before you know it, you can be the one doing the slam-dunks. I will give you a few tips on how can you do this. First, of course you need to be in a decent physical condition.

You probably already know how to achieve this, combination of healthy diet and regular exercise will bring most people to this level very fast. After all you don't need to be able to run a marathon, it is enough not to fall apart after 20 minutes of playing basketball. That is, except if you don't want to go pro; if you do want to be a pro, then you can never be fit enough because the competition is fierce.

No matter which of these you want to achieve, you must know that foundation of ability to jump higher are strong legs and back. There are many workouts for this and some of them are actually designed for jumpers. You can start working out by standing on your toes for as long as you can, and even jump on your toes. This is very important for your ankles and calves. (Keep in mind that proper warm up is required for any kind of exercise, otherwise you might injure yourself!)

Then you can start using some crouch/jump combination exercises. These will build up your muscle strength and make your knees and back more durable. Always remember to soften your landing as much as you can by bending your knees and hips, if you don't then you won't be able to jump at all after some time, trust me. At the peak of your jump your back should be as straight as possible; with this you will keep your spine properly and will be able to achieve greater heights, literally.

Also make sure that the shoes you are wearing are designed for jumping (or basketball) and that you feel comfortable in them. At first you may even consider practicing barefooted; this can additionally strengthen your joints and tendons, but if you are not comfortable doing this, just stick to your shoes, not everyone does it, nor it is required in any way.

The last thing, and also very important is technique and your state of mind. You should use every part of your body if you want to jump higher. Muscles from your toes to your neck should participate in your jump. And don't let yourself your mood affect you if you are not satisfied by the results. Just be patient, relaxed and calmed as much as you can and before you know it you will be able to jump higher than most of your co-players.