« 7 Item Checklist For A Healthy Turkey Day | Home | Egg Whites Vs. Whole Eggs »
Jump Roping: Why You Should Start Hopping
By Joe Fier | November 23, 2007
We always thought it was a child’s pastime, just something for the playground. Now, times have changed and many people are starting to dig out that old jump rope from the closet. Sure we might have not touched a jump rope since grade school, but if a kid can learn it and enjoy it, so should we! There are tons of benefits from jumping rope, we just took them for granted as kids. What may look like a fun game for them is actually one of the easiest, most fun way to keep yourself in tip-top shape. Read on about the various benefits and reasons why you should get back into this long-lost hobby!
- Burns 1,000 calories per hour. Jumping rope proves to be one of the most efficient and calorie-burning exercise out there. It burns more than jogging for an hour at 8 mph and even cycling at a vigorous pace of 20 mph for an hour. You can’t beat that for just some hopping some rope.
- Tones your whole body. With this simple workout, you’re strengthening and toning your arms, legs, trunk, and back. This creates long and lean muscles in all of these core muscle groups.
- Great warm-up, cool-down, or fun time. Since it gets the blood moving very quickly in your body, it’s a great all-around exercise. Boxers around the world have this down. Before any fight or workout, they jump rope and get everything working and warmed up before continuing with the next exercise.
- It’s easy to learn. Sure you may have been great at it as a kid (or never if you were me), but if you lost the ability, it’s a very easy exercise to pick up and relearn. Even if you do only get a few jumps in before messing up, if you keep at it, you’ll definitely start feeling a sweet sweat coming on.
- You find your balance. Since this exercise is all about keeping a rhythm, you’ll also find that rhythm in your head after working out. Once you get a groove while jumping rope, your mind calms and you can jump rope for hours. You’ll never notice your getting the best workout because it will become so fun for you!
- Cheap, cheap, cheap! You thought that running was the cheapest sport out there because all you had to buy were shoes; now there’s a new first place winner. Head down to the local sports store and pick up that $5 jump rope, you’ll never regret it. Since jump roping is also very convenient, this makes it a very spontaneous type of exercise. Buy a rope and hang it in the garage, you’re bound to use it eventually.
- Improves skills in other sports. Since jumping rope creates such a balance and rhythm in your body, that ability translates to skills in your other hobbies. Sports such as golf, skiing, swimming, and playing tennis all require you to find a constant rhythm and balance. Jumping rope will help you strengthen those qualities.
Topics: Health | No Comments »
