Jump the rope for an awesome cardio exercise

The jump rope, also known as skipping rope, looks like a kiddish hustle, but it’s not that easy. If you haven’t done skipping since you moved past the 4th and 5th grade in school, then it’s time you give it a try and you’ll know it requires more than just hops. For many who don’t know, one of the most incredible benefits of jump rope is hands and legs co-ordination.

Before we get into further benefits of the jump rope, let us share the core basic points with you.

How to jump rope?

- Jump 1 to 2 inches off floor, giving the rope just enough space to slip under the feet — only the balls of the feet should touch the floor.

- Keep elbows close to sides as you turn the rope. The movement comes from the wrists and forearms, not the shoulders.

- If you tire out before you finish the workout, drop the rope, but keep arms and legs going. Work up to using the rope full-time.

- To find a rope that fits, place one foot in the centre of the rope and lift the handles – they shouldn’t go past your armpits.

Key benefits of jump rope

Weight loss:

There are 3,500 calories in one pound. Therefore, in order to lose one pound of weight per week, you must eliminate 700 calories each day. This can be done in a variety of ways. A person can either try to cut all of these calories out from their diet, they can try to burn off all of the calories through exercise, or they can use some combination of both of these methods. Research has found that people who lose weight and keep it off typically use diet and exercise in order to reach their weight loss goals.

Jumping rope for 30 minutes will produce a caloric burn of approximately 300 calories – and therefore, in order to lose one pound per week, you must jump rope for thirty minutes every day and cut out 400 calories from your diet. While this may seem intimidating, it will promote the greatest amount of weight loss in the healthiest manner possible.

Increased cardiovascular fitness:

Your cardiovascular system involves your heart and the arteries and veins that bring blood and oxygen to and from the heart and the rest of the body. Therefore, by improving the ability of this system to work, you will not only have a greater ability to perform your daily tasks, but you will become less breathless during exercise as well.

While strength training can increase muscle tone, it has been found that low to moderate, sustainable exercises such as walking, biking, or jumping rope are the best ways to improve the quality of your cardiovascular system. Be sure to consult with your doctor, nurse, or health care provider to make sure that you heart is healthy enough to begin this type of exercise routine.

Muscle tone:

After the first day of jumping rope, you may experience some soreness in your legs – this is because the muscles have been working hard enough to cause microtears. These microtears will eventually heal themselves in a few days, and because of this damage and repair, your muscles will be stronger, larger and more toned than when you started the exercise.

Article Credit: Fitday