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The best way to jump, according to Year of the Dunk author Asher Price, is to start with your arms above your head, pull them down as quickly as possible and then pull them up as you jump.Tanja Heffner/Unsplash

If you've ever dreamed of dunking a basketball – and really, who hasn't? – you'll need to improve your vertical leap.

Start by taking some baseline measurements, including your height, weight and body mass index, says Asher Price, author of Year of the Dunk: My Search for the History, Science, and Human Potential in Basketball's Most Dramatic Play. Most importantly, measure your current leap. "Take a Post-It note in your hand, stand by a wall and try to see how high you can stick it to the wall," he says.

Next, practice a few simple exercises. Don't bother jogging. Instead, run sprints of no longer than 25 metres. Try to stand up from a seated position using only your legs, then only one leg. "You want to do things that will build up your explosive strength," Price says.

The best way to jump, he says, is to start with your arms above your head, pull them down as quickly as possible and then pull them up as you jump. "You want your motion to be quick," he says.

When you are ready to try to dunk, don't start by holding a basketball and jumping for a 10-foot-high regulation net. Instead, says Price, hold a tennis ball and try to get it through a net set at eight feet. Work your way up to a grapefruit or a dodgeball as you slowly raise the net.

Most people should be able to increase their vertical leap by 20 per cent over the course of a year, just as he did, he says.

You may not become Michael Jordan, but by building your explosive speed and shedding a few pounds along the way, you'll find you're in better shape and probably better at most athletic activities, he says. "Even if you're not interested in trying to dunk a basketball, trying to increase your vertical leap is a great way to improve your fitness."

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