Jumping rope is a form of exercise in which a person jumps or bounce with a long length rope been swung over and under. Jumping rope is a form of cardiopulmonary activity that may result in acute stress and various kinds of body physiological responses and function. Keep reading and find out why you should buy a jump rope!

It is also a form of mild exercise which needs little or no expertise as well as large equipment to carry out. It involves repeated bouncing or jumping of an individual who requires the (alternate) swinging of a piece of rope.

There is an endless list of how much you can benefit from jumping rope. If you are trying to burn calories, increase your stamina, lose overall body weight, keep fit and so much more, jumping rope is something to consider! It is a cardiopulmonary exercise that requires little space. Adding jumps to your workout routine can make you reach your target faster.

Jumping rope targets specific areas in the body, the next time you grab a rope, make sure to keep a good posture. You mostly target your legs and glutes. Next to that your arms and core are engaged while jumping rope.

Follow these steps for the perfect jump rope workout

Jumping rope exercise requires straightforward and easy steps that yield positive and expected results when carried out on a regular basis. Jumping rope exercise can be done for as long as you want. We advise to keep going for several minutes ranging from five to twenty minutes. For every twenty minutes skipping rope, it is advisable to take at least a 30 seconds break between every five minutes. A simple jumping routine goes as thus:

• Procure a good quality rope – the excellent thing about jump ropes is the portability property that they have, you can take them anywhere. Jump ropes are also very affordable; a jump rope is one of the cheapest exercise equipment you can get.
• Wear a comfortable and high impact sports bra to keep the breast in place; this will prevent the breast muscles from tearing and prevent breast sagging.
• Adjust the rope length, hold the handles on each side by your side. Step into the middle of the rope, keep the length taut and firm. Begin jumping and (alternate) swinging of rope.

Jump rope techniques

Double jump is the most common technique in the jumping rope; it involves jumping with both feet simultaneously, it is practiced with high speed and burns a high amount of calories. The intensity of the double jump varies depending on the speed and height of the jump. It is suitable for muscle toning and endurance training.

For double Jump; stretch the rope upward and taut holding the handles by your side. Keep your elbows bent and your forearms parallel to the ground. Jump with both feet at 2-3 inches off the ground allowing the rope to pass under your feet. Repeat the steps and increase the speed consistently with your fitness level.

Two other techniques

Cross jump is less intense compared to the double jump; You can do them in between very intense workouts. Cross jump and double jump are quite similar, the main difference between them is that cross jump requires jumping with one foot after the other while in the double jump, you lift both feet simultaneously.

Single leg jump is an upgraded jumping level, this type of jump puts more weight on one leg, and it requires a great deal of balance. You can start off with single leg jumps by trying to stand and balance on one leg, the cross and double jump are requisite to be able to perform the single leg jump.

Hold the rope handles with both hands and shoulders rolled back, chest out, tighten your abs and suck in your belly button. Lift one leg, jump rope with a single leg on the floor while keeping the other in the air. Repeat it and do the same for the other leg.

Jumping rope can increase your result in the following ways;

Burn calories faster

Jumping rope perfectly burns more calories than you would running miles. A significant advantage of jumping rope is that it is an overall exercise that put every part of your body to work. Many studies have been carried out on jumping rope, and it has come out to be a fact that jumping rope burns more calories than running. Incorporate jumping rope into your daily to slim down, burn extra calories and get even better results.

Jumping rope improves your ability to burn calories. Rope workouts can help you burn those extra calories, with a very straightforward high-intensity jump.

Perfect for the heart

Jumping rope is an ideal exercise for the heart as it strengthens the heart muscles. Jumping makes the heart active and healthy which in turns helps with the general health of the whole body by aiding the heart to pump blood faster and efficiently allowing sufficient flow of blood to body tissues and organs.  It is a useful cardio exercise that boosts your heart rate. Jumping rope helps in various heart conditions like heart palpitations, atherosclerosis, hypertension and a lot more. This exercise helps to maintain and regulate your blood pressure.

Increase your stamina

Jumping ropes boost your energy level by increasing your physical endurance and overall balance by working on your leg muscles, primarily the gastrocnemius muscle and the soleus muscle. Continuous rope jumping increases your sense of balance by helping you to build a sturdy and strong gastrocnemius or calf muscle enhancing your stability, also increasing the elasticity and resilience of your lower leg there reducing the risk of lower leg injuries.

Coordination, balance, and agility

Improvement of your ability to move your limb quickly and easily can be achieved by jumping rope. It puts lesser pressure on the joints and causes less shock for the joint compared to running. Coordinated actions are essential in our day to day activities; you need coordination to walk up the stairs, or to walk across a closed path and for pretty much every activity, even as simple as in picking up an object. Jumping can help you move faster and brisker, it makes your whole body feel light, and it aids body flexibility.

Increase your bone density

An increased bone density means a higher bone mineral content. The density of your bones determines the strength of your bone and reduced risk of getting a broken bone. Jumping rope can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractured bone by increasing bone density and improving bone mineral content.

Respiratory benefits

Jumping rope is a useful cardiorespiratory exercise. It helps to increase the amount of oxygen that is inhaled and distributed to body tissue, jumping rope clears the airway and allows sufficient oxygen to pass to the muscles and the tissues for them to carry out their physiologic function efficiently. It improves the lung condition and also increases the oxygen capacity of the lungs by increasing the elasticity of the respiratory airways.

Enhance cognition

Jumping rope and getting good at it is a learning process that involves the nervous system. Jumping rope is an acquired motor skill. The process of its acquisition is learning a new motor skill which in turn increase the communication between the nervous system and your limbs. This function is needed for precision as we age.

Next to that it aids the brain and its precision, it helps in accuracy and calculative function of the brain. It does this by improving alertness. Jumping rope requires simultaneous acting of swinging and jumping. This helps the brain to learn attentiveness due to sensory centers in the brain that will receive and process the information to avoid you getting hurt or injured.

Muscle toning

It increases your muscle fitness and strength, jumps tighten your muscles building the ability of the muscles to withstand stress. You target your arm muscles, wrist and leg muscles (hamstring, gastrocnemius, and soleus) when jumping rope, it works these muscles and tones them.

Now go buy a jump rope!

Conclusively, jumping rope has many health benefits that can significantly improve your health. It strengthens your weak muscles, tendons, and joints, cleans your lymphatic system, enhances your cardiovascular and respiratory system and most importantly improves your daily living.

Everybody can do it due to its large and diverse functions. Ropes are quite affordable and portable. All you have to do is jump right, ease your body into the exercise steadily and progressively, that might be all you need. Incorporate jumping rope into your exercise routine, it is creative and feels like a fun game. It can make the old feel like a youth again.