Five Reasons to Jump Rope
If you’re anything like me, doing cardio on a treadmill or elliptical is probably one of the most boring exercise routines out there. This is why I am always looking for a full-body cardio exercise to answer my fitness prayers. If you’re looking for an exercise you can do almost anywhere with limited equipment that yields wonderful results, I got you. Jumping rope is a star when it comes to fitness, and for good reason too...or should I say five reasons? Here are five benefits of jumping rope.
1) Quick and efficient
Jumping rope is a full-body workout. Some of the main muscles being targeted during a jump rope workout include calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, deltoids, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, biceps and triceps, brachioradialis and your core. Due to multiple muscle groups being activated at the same time, jumping rope is considered thermogenic. Your muscles burn the fuel available in your body and in return produce heat. A 150 lb individual can burn around 250 calories in 20 minutes of jumping rope.
2) Improves coordination
Having so many body parts work together at the same time automatically challenges coordination. That is a good thing. Jumping rope helps improve motor coordination in demographics struggling with it. The more advanced the variation, the more significant the improvement.
3) Improves muscle elasticity and prevents injury
The continuous bouncing during the exercise strengthens the calves and the associated tendons and fascia, thus making them more resilient. High elasticity is a good trait in muscles, making them less likely to get injured. Strengthening the tendons and fascia in the lower leg helps prevent issues such as plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendon injuries.
4) Improves bone density
It is no secret that impact training has a positive effect on bone density. Weight lifting and jumping stresses the bone tissue, forcing it to remodel and become more dense in order to resist the high impact. High bone density is linked to a lower likelihood of developing osteoporosis in older populations. Women especially should add jumping rope to their routine because of this.
5) Plenty of jump rope variations
There are many ways to choreograph a jumping rope routine. You can single leg it, jump backwards, jump from a narrow base to a wider base, run in place, cross yours arms…almost anything is possible if you’re determined and coordinated enough. You will challenge different muscle groups through variation and keep yourself entertained while you’re at it.
Middle school may be the last time you used a jump rope, but it might be time to bring it back. Aside from all of the benefits listed above, it is convenient, cheap and easy to start. If you have any questions about jump rope exercise routines or exercises in general, please feel free to reach out to me.
