1. Not as Difficult as it Looks
Ease your body into jumping rope before trying the fancy gyrations and spectacular moves performed by freestyle jump ropers worldwide. When you start a jumping rope program, doing less is better for your body. You don't want to overdo it because you can strain your muscles and loose interest in a rather easy exercise. Instead, jump for less than five minutes until you feel comfortable with that time. Then, add one minute at a time without overdoing it until you achieve a 20minute workout, giving you cardiovascular and fat burning results.
2. Mix It Up for Added Excitement
You may think jumping rope is dull or boring, but that's not necessarily true. Once you feel confident and comfortable skipping rope, you can add many moves and foot patterns to spice up your fitness routine. You can incorporate some basic moves, like alternating your left foot and right foot as you jump, doing crossovers and repetitive heel-toe jumping. Then add some high knee stepping, skipping fast then slow and even jumping rope forward to back instead of back to forward. If that's not enough to keep you engaged, switch on your favorite music or wear an iPod. If you're a stargazer or a romantic, skip rope under the stars while gazing at the moon. The ideas are endless to make a fantastic 20-minute workout that's far from dull.
3. Skip on the Road
Traveling with a jump rope in your suitcase makes exercising on the road simple and manageable. It's easy to schedule this kind of workout while you're on a busy trip as you need less than half an hour. Twenty minutes of skipping the rope (120 turns a minute) equals 60 minutes of jogging. Even with a full schedule of meetings or convention activities, you can easily find time for a 20 minute exercise routine. Go outside and skip rope by the hotel pool, in the hotel exercise room or in any open space.
4. Work out That Upper Body
Just because you jump with your legs doesn't mean the upper body isn't getting a workout. The constant turning of the jump rope during extended exercise works the arms, shoulders and upper back. So, all large muscle groups get a full workout. Exercising the larger muscles raises the body's metabolism and causes the body to burn more fat during and after exercising.
5. Jump to Better Coordination
A wonderful byproduct of jumping rope is that eye, hand and feet coordination takes a turn for the better while your overall fitness level soars. The repetition of all the muscles, endocrine system, heart and lungs working together develops the body into a synchronized system. It's hard to believe that such a simple workout helps your whole body become more agile and balanced, but it's true. This is one of the primary reasons boxers jump rope as part of their interval training. Sure, your stamina improves and reaction time quickens, but the rhythmic skipping also improves your overall performance on any athletic field or court.
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