Have you ever had those moments when you just stare blankly into the abyss and reminisce about things that you did in the past? I did that today, and I went all the way back into middle school. My friend and I use to have jump rope competitions. We would see who could do the most crisscross, backward jumps, triple jumps, and so many other random challenges (we even tried to see who could jump on one foot the longest). Then it hit me, I need to start doing this again.
For today, I jump roped for thirty minutes. I never realized how much it burned my calves and exhausted me. I remembered why I stopped doing it on my own now. However, it was nice to change up the typical cardio routine for a day. So while I’m talking about jump roping, let’s discuss the benefits of jumping rope.
It improves your cardio conditioning because, obviously, its exhausting and intense. Boxers often jump rope to get them in shape for their matches. It also can burn 1000 calories an hour for an average person weighing 150lb. In fact, studies show that jumping rope burns more calories per minute than any other aerobic activity! So 30 minutes a day for a week would burn off a pound providing that you are eating your maintenance calories! However, boxers also use jump roping to help them improve their athletic skills.
When you jump rope, you improve your coordination, timing, and agility. All of these skills are vital in any sport. It also improves your speed as you speed up your jumps. Why not lose weight and improve skills at the same time? Sounds like a pretty effective and efficient exercise to me. Not only that, but it is cost effective, costing anywhere from 1-15$ for a jump rope. You don’t need to use the “I can’t afford a gym membership or treadmill” excuse anymore.
Compared to my previous cardio workout, I felt more accomplished for this one. Although I didn’t have a calorie reader, TV and heart rate monitor that a treadmill offers, it still was very effective. I guess it’s time to start getting my Rocky Balboa on.
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