Jumping Rope – Not Just For Kids

If jumping rope makes you think of kids singing rhymes on the playground, then let me paint you a new picture.

You have probably seen boxers and martial artists skipping rope at high speeds, breathing hard, and sweat dripping everywhere. When used right, it's easy to create a very intense and effective workout.

It has been said that 10 minutes of jumping rope, at a brisk pace, is the same as 30 minutes of running.

Wow. When I heard that, I had to give it a try myself. I mean, saving 20 minutes is pretty big for me. Only problem was, I couldn't do more than 5 minutes. I'm not sure what happened first: me sucking wind or my calves feeling like a block a wood.

I found out real quick the power in the rope. Even though my first serious attempt at working out with a jump rope was terrible, I quickly adapted as the days and weeks passed. In short time, I went from constantly tripping every other turn to doing a few hundred in good rhythm.

The Benefits of Jump Roping

Jumping rope makes a great exercise for toning the whole body.

Not only does it improve your cardiovascular system, but it works out several parts of the body such as your chest, shoulders, forearms, abdominals, and legs.

Because it is an efficient workout, the intensity makes it an excellent fat burner. You can keep your body trim and lean.

Rope skipping also translates to sports. Timing, rhythm, and coordination benefit greatly. In addition, agility and jumping ability get a good boost.

Jump ropes are very cheap, light, and travel friendly. You can use it just about anywhere that has some open space.

Jump Rope Length

Ideally, the length of a jump rope should be such that if one were to step on the center of the rope, the handles should come to the armpits of the person.

When performing the jump, the rope should just barely skip the ground beneath the feet. If the rope hits the ground too much and too soon, or doesn't hit the ground at all, then the length might be too long or too short, respectively.

This is important in establishing a steady rhythm and a balance in muscle exertion. If the rope is hitting the ground too much, you may loose too much speed and have to swing harder or overcompensate in other ways to keep the rhythm. If the rope doesn't hit the ground often, you may be likely to keep tripping, stopping the exercise altogether.

But, this can all be fixed by the placement of the elbows and wrists. This happens naturally when you do the exercise as not all jump ropes are a perfect match (unless you customize the length for your body).

Give the jump rope a try. I highly recommend it.