When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Credit: Shutterstock
One thing that hasn’t changed in 2026 so far? TikTok fitness challenges. Love them or hate them, they’re still going strong. I just heard about a new one from a colleague — jumping 50 times a day after waking up, and doing this every day for 30 days.
Some of the claims are bold: increased energy, lymphatic drainage, reduced restless leg syndrome and bloating and better breathing, to name a few. Does jumping 50 times have any health benefits at all, or is it just another TikTok craze? Here’s what we know.
What is the ‘50 jumps’ trend?
The idea of the ’50 jumps’ challenge is very simple: you wake up and jump 50 times (you don’t need a jump rope to do it) using a gentle bounce rather than high-impact tuck jumps. Focus on a soft knee bend and driving through the balls of your feet, landing and taking off this way; don’t worry too much about height.
Kathryn Smith posted about the challenge, and it’s racking up the views as we speak. She says, “It increases your heart rate, which boosts circulation… it helps improve lymphatic flow, which helps clear your body of waste… it enhances oxygen delivery to your muscles and brain to get things started, elevates body temperature, which primes your metabolism, it stimulates blood flow to hands, feet, to every area in your body.” She goes on to list more benefits of jumping, but you get the picture.
I’m not sure jumping 50 times a day will ever replace my morning flat white for an energy boost, but I was more concerned about the science Smith referenced outside of this, so I looked into it.
Benefits of the ‘50 jumps’ trend
Here are some of the claims and whether or not they stack up with the science, as far as we know.
1. Energy boost
Yes, short, sharp bursts of movement can help wake up the body and improve energy levels (and mood, through endorphin release) for a short time, warming up the muscles, increasing blood flow, which also increases oxygen delivery around the body (and to the brain) and improving circulation. This can lead to feeling more focused and energized first thing in the morning.
Where the 50 jumps come in, I’m not sure, but it is manageable and only takes a short time, which can help people stay motivated and consistent with it each day. While it might provide a short-term wake-up and stress buster, your cumulative habits throughout the day matter, too, like eating and sleeping well and having a consistent exercise routine in place.
That aside, if you enjoy breaking exercise up, something called exercise snacking, then this challenge could be for you. It quite literally takes a minute, and why can’t find 60 seconds spare?
2. Increased body temperature
Any movement you do will help keep you warm, as motion will increase blood flow and your heart rate. Jumping up and down may help to raise your core temperature, which is particularly useful first thing in the morning, when you have been sedentary for a long period after sleep.
Again, this can be short-lived, so try to move often during the day to keep your metabolism ticking along and prevent too much sedentary time. Accumulating movement like this is known as Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT.
3. Detoxification
I immediately get my back up when someone (or something) claims “detoxification,” which is a natural process within the body aided by lymphatic drainage. Many claim that jumping up and down can stimulate your lymphatic system, helping to remove toxins from the body.
Let’s highlight the calf muscles for a moment. Jumping activates your calf muscles, and your calf muscles are known as your “second heart,” helping to pump blood back around the body from the legs to keep things moving. They’re almost like the back up generator for your heart.
Those in favor of jumping or rebounding (bouncing on a mini trampoline) to boost lymphatic drainage say the motion stimulates muscle contractions and helps blood and lymph fluid move through your vessels while enhancing circulation. The lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump as the heart does, so this is one way to keep things flowing and support the process of natural detoxification.
However, I found it surprisingly difficult to find much definitive supporting evidence or research in favor of jumping for detoxification.
3. Bone and muscle health
Jumping and other plyometric and loading exercises generate an osteogenic response, helping to build bone strength by loading the bones with intensity and impact, known as bone loading. You’re also activating your legs, helping to keep the muscles and joints strong, improving balance, perception of space and coordination in your lower body. Think stronger knees, calves and ankles.
One study from the Journal of Applied Physiology suggests that low-rep, high-impact jumps can improve bone density using a “good” stress to build strength. Given we lose bone density and lean muscle mass as we age, activities like gentle jumping and walking can help prevent loss and keep you injury-free, stable and active for years to come.
Again, though, this exercise alone won’t provide a fix-all, and I recommend a variety of movement and exercises to support this.
Verdict
Credit: Getty Images
I’ve listed just a few benefits, but you can check out Smith’s video above for her full low-down on the challenge and how to get started for yourself.
It’s worth saying that this trend won’t “fix” anything, and you won’t notice magic weight loss or any extreme detoxification or changes to your body. If you’re going into this ’50 jumps’ challenge having not exercised recently, try building up slowly to 50 jumps over the days and weeks; if you are pregnant or have an injury or health condition, it could be worth checking with a qualified professional like your physician first.
If it is safe for you to try, it’s a great way to wake up your body and get moving in the morning without leaving the house. For some, it could be an effective way to shake off stress and warm your muscles, helping oxygen and blood flow around the body while reducing sedentary time.
I’m always wary of social media challenges — it’s obvious why, I think — so although this is a generally safe and simple one-minute exercise to boost mood, it shouldn’t be viewed as a cure-all, and it should not replace a regular or consistent strength or cardio routine.
That said, small and consistent efforts add up in the long run much more than fads, and all movement accumulated during the day counts for overall calorie burn and energy expenditure. They say sitting could be the new smoking, so you might be able to jumpstart your day by quite literally jumping straight into it.