I found this superb article on one of my favorite cardio/warm-up exercises and the benefits of it. I am as some of you who know me a fan of the old school exercises and it does not get any more old school or classic as jump roping. This exercise does so much for total body conditioning.
Benefits of Jumping Rope | |
by Namita Nayyar Jumping rope is an intense and effective aerobic activity. Skipping can actually tone the muscles of the upper body (especially the deltoids and to a lesser degree the chest and upper back) as well as the lower body (especially the calves and hamstrings). It also promotes definition of abdominal muscles and reduces cellulite. As recommended by 'WF health and Fitness Experts', you can adapt moves, such as marching or running in place, from aerobics classes, while turning the rope alongside your body. Research indicates that 10 minutes of jumping rope is equal to 30 minutes of running at a 5.7 mph pace. A 150-pound person jumping 120 times per minute burns about 12 calories per minute. Rope jumping improves your coordination, speed and agility - which can vastly improve performance in other sports. Jumping rope is a plyometric workout. Thus, it is excellent for developing power, speed and endurance in your calves. Not only is it a good CV workout, but also it improves your agility, fluidity, coordination, lateral movement, explosiveness, speed, and timings. While you cannot really increase your muscles' size by jumping rope, you can (and will) increase the muscles efficiency, and because of this, many coaches employ it as a means to complement strength or weight training. Skipping also helps to improve coordination for sports such as tennis or racquetball. Rope Jumping Tips:
Ms Namita Nayyar is President of www.womenfitness.net, a complete online guide for women to achieve healthy weight & optimum fitness. She is post graduate in Child Development (gold medalist) & a fitness trainer. |