Many people come to Rising Fitness in Houston, TX, because they love the help of a personal trainer and the equipment available. Some people want to exercise between gym sessions and choose running, walking, and calisthenics. One often-forgotten cardio workout is the jump rope. Jump ropes are inexpensive. You can even do it with the kids. There are several types of jump ropes, including speed and weighted ones, but jump ropes don’t have to be fancy or expensive. You can use a jump rope found in the toy department.
Jumping rope is tougher than you think.
You might laugh a bit when you think of jumping rope for fitness. After all, you did it in elementary school. It’s harder than you think. One study showed that six weeks of jumping rope for 10 minutes provided the same benefits as 30 minutes of running. You raise your knees higher when you jump, burn more calories, and move more muscles than when you swim or row. When you think of adults jumping rope, boxers probably come to mind. They do it because it boosts overall fitness and timing.
Jumping rope helps condition your body and your brain.
You’ll improve your circulation. That affects your entire body, including the brain. That can improve brain power and cognitive thinking. Jumping rope requires rhythm and using various muscles to do different types of movements. Like other exercises, it helps build new neural pathways. Jumping rope improves the coordination of the muscles. It can be vital to good health and mental clarity as you age.
You exercise both the upper body and lower body when you jump rope.
There are a variety of ropes and styles of jumping that you can use to work your body harder. A faster rope will engage your cardiovascular system more and a weighted rope will work the upper body more. That allows you to target certain areas. You can jump rope anywhere. If you live in a small apartment, don’t forget to clear the area. Many people jump rope outside during good weather to make it very pleasant.
- Jumping rope at a moderate pace can burn 16 calories every minute. If you do just ten minutes a day, you’ll burn 1120 extra calories. You’d burn enough calories to lose a pound in about three weeks.
- Jumping rope is considered a low-impact workout that is easier on the joints. You are jumping, but your feet don’t move very far from the ground, and you land on the balls of your feet.
- Start with simple movements and get the basics perfected. Once you do, move on to harder types. The basic jumps include bouncing on both feet simultaneously or lifting one foot at a time.
- You can modify your jump rope workout by changing the position of your feet. You can use the same foot movements you use in jumping jacks, wider for one jump and narrower for the next.
For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym