Not A Fan of The Gym? Let’s Try Rope Jumping

Jumping or skipping rope is one of those things many of us got into as kids. It’s an excellent workout if we’re in decent shape. Consider how many athletes use jumping rope as a regular part of their fitness regime! Many fighters jump rope.

Jumping rope is a great way to get in a cardio workout while working on our lower-body strength training. We don’t need any fancy equipment or gear, just a long enough jump rope. A jump rope might not look like much. Still, it’s incredibly versatile, allowing us to perform various exercises, from running jumps to HIIT workout sessions.

The Basics of Rope Jumping

While many of us had incredible fun skipping rope as kids, not all of us were avid jump ropers, and maybe it’s been a while.

1. Hold the ends of a jump rope, one in each hand, with the cord resting on the ground behind you.
2. Swing the rope over the top of your head and around your body in one complete, smooth motion.
3. As the rope nears, your feet jump so that it passes underneath them.
4. Repeat

One of the most essential aspects of jumping rope is having a properly-sized rope. Stand on the very center of the rope and raise the handles up. The end of the rope should be at armpit height. If your rope is too short, you risk falling. You can add knots directly below the handles if it's too long to adjust the length.

Benefits of Jumping Rope

There are many potential benefits of rope jumping, but there are some that are more beneficial than others, so we’ll stick to them for now.

Again, jumping rope is typically associated with children and childhood. That in itself can bring about a nostalgic and fun feeling. It’s much different from jogging or running sets of stairs. While jump roping is associated with kids, it presents challenges for all ages. Not to mention, there are so many ways to get creative with it.

It’s An Easy Cardio Workout

Jumping rope at any speed for 30 seconds will elevate your heart rate, and you’ll feel it. It’s like a big bang for a buck. The coordination between the different muscle groups gets your blood flowing, increases your heart rate, and works so many muscles all at once.

Increases Your Heart Rate Quickly

Rope jumping is a high-intensity exercise that causes our heart rate to jump up quickly. Our entire body is involved, so once we get started, our heart has to keep up.

Building Bone Density

Jumping rope strengthens the muscles around the bones, especially in the legs. Strengthening the muscles will help build stronger bones. However, the actual impact from jumping and landing also adds to enhancing and building bone density. While huge amounts of stress on our body can be counterproductive, small amounts allow our body and bones to become more resilient.

Jumping rope comes with a wealth of benefits. Here are a few more;

• It’s an efficient warm-up.
• It’s versatile.
• It can be done almost anywhere.
• Improves agility and coordination.
• Helps improve balance.
• Helps perfect our explosive power.

If you’re new to jumping rope, welcome and start slow. We have the same advice if you haven’t done it since you were a kid. It’s best to start anything new low and slow and then work your way to faster, more intense sessions.

There are numerous jump roping videos that guide you through the basics of rope jumping, and different exercises you can do from there.