Skipping is a very effective form of cardiovascular activity and is most popular with young children (usually girls). Because of this it is largely ignored by a lot of fitness advocates simply because a jump rope (or skipping rope) is considered to be a children’s toy.
Challenge: Jump for for 5 minutes non-stop with a skipping rope
Sounds easy enough right? Wrong! I can bet that most of you will be humbled by such a simple challenge.
Here are some reasons why you should give this ‘children’s toy’ a go.
1. It is much more effective than running or sprinting could ever be.
You’d be puffed far sooner when skipping than you ever would be by running. The heart will pumping the blood around your body faster and sooner - and don’t forget you’ll be using your arms as well as your legs when you skip (not so with running or sprinting).
2. It can be done anywhere
A jump rope takes up no room, in fact you can almost put it in your pocket! So no matter if you’re going on holiday or overseas on business there’s no excuse not to take it along with you. Do it at home, outside, at the beach, at work (if you don’t mind the funny looks)!
The amount of room you need to actually swing the rope around is surprizingly small as well.
3. It can be done at any time
Rain or shine, sunny or stormy. Bad weather can’t be blamed for a missed workout, neither can the time of day. You can do it early in the morning or late at night without disturbing anyone (as long as you don’t knock that vase over)!
4. It’s done in boxing gyms around the country
This is no children’s toy, and this settles it. Most boxers choose this as their exercise of choice to get (and keep) them fit and lean for their fights. It most closely replicates the amount of exertion needed in a boxing fight (running, swimming, other sports, just doesn’t make the cut).
5. It helps you improve your coordination skills
Basketball players will often use skipping to keep them better coordinated on the court (it really helps those tall lanky 7 footers). This is another reason why boxers love it so much. The more coordinated you are, the better balance you have and the better balance you have, the more powerful your punches will be
6. You can learn tricks and fancy moves and you’ll forget you’re working out!
It can get boring jumping in one spot for an extended amount of time. But there are actually heaps of different tricks you can implement into your skipping to keep you learning new things.
- Skipping backwards
- Skipping twice in one jump
- Criss-crossing
- 180 degree jumps
These are all just some examples of some tricks you can do to keep yourself entertained and show off to your children!
7. You can skip while watching your favorite TV episodes
You don’t need to keep track of reps and sets with skipping. Just skip for a few minutes then rest for a few minutes and repeat for as many times as possible. So a great time to do the skipping could be when you’re watching TV as you’ll be killing two birds with one stone and have more time to do other things.
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