A jump rope is about the cheapest piece of exercise equipment you can get. In fact, you can purchase a quality jump rope for under twenty dollars!
Used properly, a jump rope can give you an interesting and effective workout, and of course, it can be done from anywhere.
Jump rope will improve your cardiovascular heath and your stamina – and you’ll lose some weight while you’re at it! Jumping rope is also an easy-to-learn exercise that’s fun, portable, and gives you a full-body workout in only around ten minutes.
Jump rope exercises are benefical for other reasons as well: they come with a very low risk of injury with lower impact on knees and ankles than running.
Jumping rope will also improve your agility and balance, boost your metabolism, and give you great calf muscles to boot. To get the most out of your workout, you need ot know a few basics.
First, rhythm and form are keys to a jump rope workout. To get into the right rhythm, try jumping without a rope and counting in time. You can also try working out to music with a heavy rhythm, keeping in time with the beat.
Make sure your jump rope is the right size for you, neither too long nor too short. Size does matter in this case! To measure your rope, stand on the middle of the rope with one foot and pull the handles up towards your armpit. The base of the handle (where the rope starts) should come up to your armpit or nipple area.
If you’re buying a rope online, you can’t measure it, so try the following guidelines (don’t include the handles in the length measurement):
- If you’re 4’9” to 5’3.5”, purchase an 8-foot jump rope
- If you’re 5’4” to 5’9”, purchase an 8-foot, 6-inch jump rope
- If you’re 5’9.5” to 6’3”, purchase a 9-foot jump rope
- If you’re 6’3.5” to 6’10”, purchase a 9-foot, 9-inch jump rope
If you’re new to jumping rope, choose a heavier rope that will give you more physical feedback as you jump. You don’t need to leap up like an antelope, either. Stay on your toes and keep your knees slightly bent.
Keep your hands near your hip level. Hold your hands out with palms facing upwards. Your thumbs should be up near the top of the handle, not wrapped around your hand. Keep your grip relaxed, though, and don’t squeeze too tightly.
Also, keep your elbows tight to your body and let your wrists and forearms do the work of powering the rope around.
You can increase your intensity by one (or more) of the following: jump faster for the same number of reps, use a heavier rope, jump for a longer period of time, or jump for more repetitions per set.
Jump for twenty or thirty seconds, then rest for ten seconds before starting another set.
Repeat the set four times for a round and go for three to five rounds during a workout.
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