9 reasons why jumping rope improves your cardio fitness

As a child, I always loved going outside to jump rope. It was one of my favorite childhood experiences both at home and at school. Jumping rope was fun. It’s an activity you could do alone, or with friends. Jumping rope was never boring. There were so many ways to use jump.

Some of these jump rope techniques  you may know:

Basic Jump  – Jump with both feet slightly apart over the rope is how beginners learn to use the rope. Remember when you started, sometimes you couldn’t coordinate swinging the rope and jumping so the rope could pass under your feet? But once you got the hang of it, you became a show off. I’m smiling because I remember that too.

Alternate foot jump – This jump was a little tricky because you alternated the leg/foot under which the rope would pass. This meant jumping with a one foot up and jumping so the rope would pass under the other. It reminded me of a hopping technique.

Criss-cross – Who didn’t want to show that they were an experienced jump-roper by doing the basic jump and  crossing arms in front of the body at the same time.

Double under – You perform the  basic jump, turning the rope twice under the feet and when you were showing off, you did it fast. Didn’t you?  🙂

And there were more: Double Dutch, The Toad, Awesome Annie, The Frog, Inverse Toad, The Elephant and the list continues.

Why Jump Rope?

• It’s good for you. Jumping rope is a great from of cardio exercise.
• It’s easy to do.
• You need very little space.
• You can jump rope indoors and outside.

Still not convinced?

Jumping rope helps to improve your coordination. Earlier I mentioned that when I first learned to jump rope I had to remember to jump so that the rope could move under my feet? That’s what you have to do. That is total coordination. (Anyone ever tell you to pat your head and rub your belly at the same time? Even now I, my hands get confused and they both start doing the same thing. Jump rope helps you to coordinate your hands (swinging the rope), feet (jumping when the rope hits the ground ) and eyes (paying attention to what is happening).

You can jump rope anywhere. There is no need for a gym. You can take a jump rope anywhere you go. Think of it as your traveling gym. It’s portable and packable.

Jumping rope makes your calves stronger. You’re doing calf and leg raises when you are jumping rope. Calf raises help strengthen the lower leg muscles.

Jumping rope helps you improve your aerobic conditioning if you stick to a jumping schedule for up to 20 minutes 3-5 times a week.

Jumping rope makes you more agile and quick. Why do you think athletes jump rope? Boxers are always seen jumping rope as part of their workout routine. (check out Floyd Mayweather jumping rope)

Jumping rope is a full body workout, it takes just 15 minutes and you can burn 200 calories.

Jumping rope is good for your lymphatic system

Jumping rope improves your muscle tone, because this activity worked many muscles in the body at once.

Jumping rope decreases foot and ankle injuries because it improves your foot coordination and increases the strength in the ankle and foot muscles which helps to decrease injury.

Jumping improves mental stability because it helps with the development of the left and right sides of your brain enhancing awareness and increasing memory skills.

Ready to jump

1. Start with comfortable clothing that you can move in.
2. Wear comfortable sneakers

my pick for women 

my pick for men

• arch support
• good stability
• ankle support
• there is sufficient cushion in the midsole
• provide shock absorbers when your foot strikes the ground

grab your jump rope and go