Jumping rope is a great way to get in shape. It involves the entire body and is a high-impact exercise that burns a lot of calories.
I have been jumping rope regularly for about 10 years. While I can now easily jump for 30 minutes straight, I remember when doing it for just 60 seconds seemed nearly impossible. So if you think you can’t do it or it’s too hard, give yourself time. You will get better.
Jumping rope well takes practice and patience but once you become a skilled jump roper, trust me, you will love it. Here are a few of the benefits that may help motivate you to give it a try:
- Easy to travel with. It’s light, small, and portable. You can use it just about anywhere, and it’s a great alternative when you don’t have a treadmill and dread running in the cold (like I do). You can easily take your rope to the office and squeeze in a quick workout on your lunch break.
- Inexpensive. A decent jump rope is less than $10 at your local discount shopping center or sporting goods store. I recommend purchasing more than one type until you find the one you like best. You can also keep one in multiple places so that you are always prepared when you get the opportunity to sneak in a quick exercise session.
- Great for athletes and fitness buffs. Anyone who participates in a sport or fitness activity that involves running or explosive movement can benefit from jumping rope. It improves agility, coordination and is even good for your brain.
- Almost as good as running. Many runners — including myself — cross-train jumping rope with running. It is easy to mimic the running motion by alternating legs, while jumping to a tempo similar to your run pace. It helps strengthen your stabilizer muscles which can later aid in injury prevention. It also provides similar cardiovascular benefits to running, but by doing it indoors you reduce the impact made from pounding on the road.
One of my favorite workouts that I used as a personal trainer, and one that I still do regularly myself, is as follows: Alternate sets of strength training exercises with jump rope intervals. When I am very sore from strength training or competing in a race, I alternate yoga poses and stretching with jumping rope. This keeps my heart elevated so that I burn more calories, but still get to elongate my sore muscles (which aids in recovery).
Wishing you health and happiness,
HLJ
Holly Lowe Jones is a media professional, fitness expert, and ISSA-certified personal trainer. A member of the National Association for Health and Fitness, Jones is also a seasoned triathlete who competes in her spare time.
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