Working out at the gym is great for a lot of reasons. You have at your disposal all the exercise equipment you could ever desire, without having to purchase it yourself.
You can access trained professionals that help your fitness efforts head in the right direction. You can also meet others like yourself, possibly making some new friends in the process.
But gyms can be crowded, and they aren’t always the healthiest place to work out. Monthly and yearly fees can get expensive. And of course, you have to travel to and from your gym or health club.
For all those reasons a simple jump rope provides a great exercise alternative. Check out the following 9 benefits of working out with a jump rope to understand just how effective this simple fitness tool is forgetting you in shape.
1. Jumping rope is a crazily effective fat burning exercise. You are strength training and enjoying cardiovascular stress at the same time. This recipe is great for crunching calories and feeding your fat burning furnace.
2. Since jumping rope is a weight-bearing exercise, it improves bone density. This is important for men and women, but especially for women because they naturally run a higher risk of developing osteoporosis.
3. Jumping rope is a very time efficient way to exercise. Just 10 minutes of skipping rope equals a brisk 45 minute run. (British Rope Skipping Association)
4. Skipping rope does not put as much pressure on your joints as running.
5. You work out your entire body. Very few exercises deliver as much “whole body” benefits as simply skipping rope. Your abdominals and core are strengthened. You obviously use your calves and thighs for jumping. Your arms and shoulders are engaged, and your chest and back get a workout as well.
6. Few exercise routines are as cost effective as skipping rope. Once you buy your rope, there is no more cost involved.
7. Skipping rope improves your flexibility and balance. This means your coordination benefits also. When you are flexible and well-balanced, you minimize your chances of suffering an injury while you are working out and simply moving through your normal daily routine.
8. One hour of jumping rope burns between 1,000 and 1,250 calories.
9. If you jump rope regularly, you improve muscle tone and definition in your arms chest and legs.
Are you wondering just how long your jump rope should be? With the ends in your hands, step on the middle of your rope with one foot. If the handles just barely reach your armpits, you have the perfect length.
Check out the Buddy Lee Hyperformance Jump Rope review.
