The Jump Rope Workout – A Particularly Effective Aerobic Workout

Last Updated on November 23, 2011 by Jimson Lee

This article is guest blogged by FitnessHealthZone.com

Kids do it all the time, but equally athletes, boxers, and wrestlers do it. Jumping rope or skipping as it is also known, is not just kid’s play and athletes, fitness experts and regular adults have found that a jump rope workout can be a very effective way to increase fitness because it enhances balance and coordination and is also a great aerobic workout.

A jump rope workout is better than running

While jumping rope is also a high impact exercise, it is less likely to lead to cause knee damage since the weight of the body is absorbed by both feet at each jump; unlike running where only one foot absorbs the impact.

So jump rope exercises can be appropriate for a wider range of fitness levels and ages as compared to running or jogging. Jumping rope has the added advantage of workout for the shoulders and the arms as well giving a great workout to all the major muscle groups of the body.

Why a jump rope workout is such a good exercise

Jumping rope can cause the burning of up to 700 calories per hour, or about 1 calorie consumed per 10 jumps. Just doing 15 or 20 minute of jumping rope can help you burn off a significant amount of calories, roughly equivalent to a candy bar.

This is a good exercise for most people and is not difficult to learn. Jump rope workouts can help to increase endurance and those who participate in competitive spectator sports such as tennis or badminton use them to increase stamina.

Even martial art masters use jump rope routines to help increase foot and hand speed as well as balance and agility. And this workout can be done anywhere and anytime. You can do it at home when watching TV, and you can do it regardless of whether it’s too cold or too hot out.

How to go about doing a jump rope workout

Firstly you should check to see that the jump rope is the right length for your height and the length of your arms. This can be done by standing on the rope at the midpoint and then extending the arms forward almost at right angles to the body, while holding on to the handles of the rope. If the rope is long enough for this then it should be the right length for jumping.

Workout 1 – For a simple to do workout with the jump rope you can start by warming up with some stretches and then starting to jump at a slow pace for a couple of minutes. Then rest for half a minute and then jump as fast as you can for 1 minute. Rest again, and then jump again for one minute. Do this alternating exercise for 15 to 20 minutes.

Workout 2 – An alternative jump rope workout can go like this – start jumping and continue for three minutes. In your one minute break do ab crunches; as many as you can do. Jump again for three minutes, and in the next break, do pushups as many as possible. Again jump for three minutes, and then crunches again.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by FitnessHealthZone.com, a premier blog on health and fitness. The blog offers expert advice, tips and information on topics such as exercises, diet and nutrition, body building, exercise equipment, healthy living, yoga, vitamins & supplements.