Rope jumping is a form of cardio exercise to warm up. It is a full-body workout that burns around 10-15 calories per minute. This is not only important to shed extra pounds but also effective for toning your body.
Benefits Of Jumping Rope
- Skipping for weight loss is considered to be one of the best cardio and High-Intensity Interval Training workouts.
- Skipping for weight loss helps you lose around 1300 calories/hour (which is quite a lot actually)
- Skipping for weight loss helps you lose more calories than running would. Another great edge it has over running is that skipping can be easily done indoors and even bad weather conditions or pollution or traffic cannot come in the way of our convenient weight loss exercise.
- You can buy a skipping rope under Rs 200 and thus, it makes it one of the most economical forms of exercise.
- Skipping for weight loss helps in toning of the muscle also along with being a super effective weight loss exercise.
- It tremendously improves our energy levels, balance, coordination, and agility. According to a study published in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Skipping rope for five minutes for the duration of four weeks significantly improved the physical work capacity of women subjects.
- It is considered one of the best and most effective exercises for endurance training.
- Skipping for weight loss is an all-rounder exercise that helps in toning the thighs and calf muscles. It also works wonders for your arms and abs.
- As compared to running, skipping proves to be a less strenuous form of exercise and thus puts less pressure on the joints.
- Skipping for weight loss improves the heart rate & health and is therefore good for blood pressure patients.
- Skipping also helps in improving bone density and thus reduces the chances of osteoporosis.
- Last but not least, skipping for weight loss is one of the low cost and low maintenance exercises which can be done by people of all ages. The equipment, which is actually just the skipping rope, does not require much space to be kept and is no maintenance equipment.
How To Start Skipping
⏩Adjust the length of your rope.
⏩Hold the handles at the ends of the rope – one in each hand.
⏩Step in the middle of the rope, keeping the length taut with the ends stretched upwards. Shorten the rope until both ends reach your armpits.
⏩Step in front of the rope and swing it from the back to the front.
⏩As the rope reaches your feet, jump. Keep your legs straight.
⏩Land softly on the floor.
Duration Of Rope Skipping
Start with 1-minute rope jumps. Increase the intensity and duration as you become comfortable. Increase the duration every week by at least 1-2 minutes. You should be able to jump rope for 10-15 minutes. Make sure to take breaks, sip on your electrolyte drink, and get jumping again.
Tips to Enjoy the Skipping Benefits Better
Though skipping is a low maintenance exercise that gives great benefits, you have to keep certain points in mind while doing this exercise if you wish to achieve those benefits.
1. The skipping rope should of good quality. A bad quality rope can injure you and ruin the mood for exercise.
2. Skipping is an exercise that is better done barefoot. Skipping barefoot has many advantages and one of them is that skipping barefoot makes your feet strong. It also helps in curing many foot-related problems. If at all, you feel uncomfortable skipping barefoot, buy a good pair of shock-absorbing shoes, and wear them while doing this exercise.
3. For women, it is very important to wear a good sports bra while skipping, failure to which it can cause a tear in the breast tissues.
4. When you decide to start skipping for weight loss, keep in mind the surface you are doing this exercise on. Totally avoid carpeted surfaces. Prefer skipping on shock-absorbing surfaces like wooden floors or other smooth floors.
5. You need a fair amount of open space while skipping for weight loss. You have to ensure that you get ample space to stretch your arms and the rope does not get stuck anywhere while skipping. If you do not have enough space for skipping, you will not be able to do the exercise properly and you may get injured also.
6. Skipping being a high-intensity exercise, it requires a proper warm-up session before you start the exercise, otherwise, you may end up with an overstretched limb of muscle.
Avoid Rope Jumping If
➩You have heart problems. Do it only if your doctor gives you a green signal.
➩You are recovering from a serious illness or surgery.
➩You have high blood pressure. Take your doctor’s opinion.
➩You have a bone injury.
Conclusion
Rope jumping is a great exercise. Keep the basics in mind. Ease your body into it slowly and keep it steady, but progressive. Include skipping as an exercise in different workouts. You will surely have fun and also feel energetic and young at heart.