The jump rope workout can be one of the most exhilarating workouts you do. It leaves you feeling energized and with a clear mind, ready for the tough obstacles you may face in athletics, exercise, or just your daily life. Many professional athletes use a jump rope workout in their regimen to stay more balanced, more agile, and quicker than their opponents.
A jump rope workout uses almost, if not all, the major muscles of the body in a few fluid motions. Your arms, legs, butt, abs, shoulders, and chest are all getting a good workout by jumping rope. (taken from jumpropeworkout.net)
HOW TO:
With your jump rope workout, start slow and build to a moderate pace. Don’t go overboard on the first few times you work out with a jump rope. A good place to start is to jump for 30 seconds and then do an active rest for 15 (like marching in place). Go another 30 seconds and then an active rest for 15.
Once you’ve experimented with a few repetitions of this, you can bump it up to 45 seconds with an active 15 second rest, and so on. It all depends on your current level of fitness. Take it at your own pace, be steady and don’t give up at the first sign of difficulty. As with anything, to get good, it’s a learning process. It’s quite amazing how you can improve your overall health and fitness by adding a jump rope workout to your routine.
HEALTH BENEFITS:
1. Strengthens the heart
2. Strengthens the upper and lower body
3. Great calorie burner (weight loss)
4. Improves coordination
5. Builds body awareness
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:
1. Affordable
2. Portable
3. Jump inside or outside
4. Jump with your children
TIPS:
A. When stepping on the rope the handles should reach your armpits.
B. Wear properly fitted athletic shoes, preferably cross-training shoes.
C. You need about 10” of space above your head.
D. Always warm-up, cool down and stretch with any exercise.
The exercise surface is very important. Do not attempt to jump on carpet, grass, concrete, or asphalt. While carpet reduces impact, the downside is it grabs your shoes and can twist your ankle or knee. Use a wood floor, piece of plywood, or an impact mat made for exercise.
Check with your doctor if you have any doubts about your ability to withstand the impact and high aerobic intensity of jumping rope.
Jumping properly is important, stay high on the toes. With rope jumping you stay high on your toes and use your body’s natural shock absorbers. Rope-jumping is lower impact than jogging or running if done properly. If not, it’s considerably more impact. If you have never jumped rope before, you can expect a challenge. It can be frustrating at first. Beginners usually jump higher than necessary. With practice, you shouldn’t come more than one inch off the floor. It takes time and practice.
HOW TO INCORPORATE IT INTO YOUR WORKOUT:
1. Work it in with your other cardio for variety
2. It can be your cardio workout for that day
3. Jump rope in between your weight lifting sets to burn more calories
Let us know your thoughts on adding jump roping to your routine. Has it helped? What have you noticed?
Ali
ps. you might be amazed at how hard it is….
Watch NBC-15 Jump Rope Clip.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Jump Rope Workout
Jump Rope.Com
WHERE TO PURCHASE A ROPE:
1. Fitness Wholesale (as low as $3)
2. Jump Rope.com
3. Local Target or Walmart stores
4. Local TJ Maxx or Marshall stores
