Jump rope training is becoming increasingly popular since it is a fun and easy way to train and lose weight. Many athletes use a jump rope for training because of the multitude of benefits it offers. In this article, you will get to know everything about jump rope training from the best apps to the best equipment.
We will delve into each aspect and discuss the good and the bad about each product and app so you can make an informed decision. Plus we will also be discussing how jump rope training actually works and discuss some practical tips and advice that would be necessary for beginners who have just started jump rope training.
What Is Jump Rope Training?
Jump rope is one of the easiest ways to work out. It improves cardiovascular endurance and hand-eye coordination all the while building leg muscles, which improve agility and speed. It is low-cost and burns more calories than any other form of aerobic exercise. It has the ability to simultaneously train your upper and lower body. Jump rope is so easy to learn that even children can do it!
Jump Rope Training: Pros and Cons
Pros
- It strengthens your heart and improves cardiovascular endurance;
- Is cheap and can be easily learned;
- It can be undertaken as a group activity or you can do it alone;
- It tones your whole body;
- It burns calories more effectively than other workouts;
- You don’t have to have any special equipment, which means that you can jump rope anywhere;
- While you lose weight, you will also improve your coordination and balance which will also translate well if you play other sports like tennis, volleyball, and basketball;
- Jumping rope increases the number of endorphins in your bloodstream which in turn makes you happier.
Cons
- The impact that your legs go through every time you jump and land on the ground can be dangerous for you if you keep at it for too long. You need to train your legs by starting slowly, especially if you know how to jump rope and are restating it;
- It is hard to learn how to jump rope. The premise itself is simple and people pick it up pretty quickly but if you are uncoordinated, it may take you some time to figure out the timing for jumping and coordinating your moments;
- If your body gets too conditioned to jump rope, your conditioning benefits will stall so you might need to change things up a bit every now and then, such as getting a weighted rope or a different exercise pattern.
How Is It Different From Other Sports?
The best thing about jump rope is that it does a lot of things at once: it makes you lose weight, improves hand-eye coordination, strengthens the muscles of your legs and arms, and tones your entire body. It is great for players who play sports professionally or it can even be used as an alternate exercise to running or jogging. It can also be a great way to warm up and improves footwork, which all translates well if you play sports or just like to keep fit.
If you are wondering about choosing either jump rope, running, or any other sport, then your choice should depend on what is more suitable for you. If you want to lose weight and get your heart rate up, then jump rope would be a good choice. But if you have some medical issue that prevents you from jumping – such as arthritis – then running or jogging would be a better choice since it won’t put any burden on your knees, unlike jump rope. If you suffer from no such problem, then choosing between exercises and sports activities depends on your preferences and why you want to exercise in the first place.
Whom Might It Suit Best?
Choosing if a jump rope is right for you depends on what benefit or benefits you are looking to gain from it. It can be suitable for athletes who want to improve hand-eye coordination and footwork. It can also be suitable for people looking to lose weight quickly, or people who are interested in doing a lot of cardio. Finally, it can be ideal for people who don’t have a lot of equipment and cannot go to the gym and want to try an efficient exercise that will not be heavy on the pocket.
Who Might Not Like It?
People who have a heart condition or suffer from joint pain and arthritis might not be the most suited to jump rope, especially since it can be dangerous for such persons. Jumping rope can put stress on your hips, knees, and ankles. Plus, you are constantly jumping so the impact might leave your legs feeling sore and hurt.
Just like any other exercise, if you continue to jump rope, you will get used to the pain. If you are simply looking for something that will be easier on your joints but will still warm you up and help burn calories, then some good alternatives to jumping rope could be jumping jacks, skaters, high knees, squat jumps, jumping lunges, and burpees.
Why Choose Jump Rope?
If you are still confused about choosing jump rope as an exercise, then here are some reasons you should consider before undertaking it.
- Research has proven that young soccer athletes who jumped rope as an exercise developed improved motor skills and balance (Trecroci, 2015);
- It is reported that for an average person, jump rope can burn up to 10 calories per minute, which are 100 calories if you exercise for only 10 minutes (Watson, 2019);
- Vigorous exercises such as jump rope improve the blood flow to the brain and relieve stress (Krigorstudio, 2020);
Jump Rope Tips That Will Help You Skip Like a Pro
Jump rope is no doubt a very interesting and fun way to exercise. It doesn’t matter if you are jumping rope for fun or to lose weight, there are some tips and tricks that can make your experience of jumping rope smoother and better.
- If you have learned how to hold a jump rope, you have almost learned how to jump rope. You have to hold the jump rope in a way that your writs are creating all the movement while your elbows stay relatively stable;
- The next thing you have to do is learn how to jump. Start slowly by jumping only 1 or 2 inches off the ground, keep your legs straight but bend, then a the nee a little at the time of the jump which will give your jump enough power to get you a couple of inches off the ground. When you get used to jumping and mastering the form, you can move into more complex exercises and jumps;
- Find the right length of jump rope for yourself. Put one foot on the rope and pull the handles up towards your shoulders. For beginners, the handles should at least reach their shoulders and for more advanced jumpers, the handles should be around the chest area.
- You should keep the weight on the soles of your feet and keep the hips, ankles, and knees relaxed which will help you in jumping;
- You have to find the correct timing to jump and if you miss it, you will have to jump higher than normal. It will take time and effort to get your timing right, but if you keep practicing, you will get the hang of it quickly enough;
- The last tip is to just relax. If you tense up, so will all the muscles and joints in your body and will make it much harder for you to jump. Take time to get to know your rope and how it works, and then think of it as an extension of your body.
Jump Rope Exercises for Beginners
The best thing a beginner can master is the basic jump which will allow them to move into more complex exercises as you move further into jumping rope. The next thing you need to master is the alternate footstep which will not only allow you to jump faster but will also improve agility and coordination of the feet. You will start the alternate feet with one of your feet lifted slightly above the ground and every time you skip, you change the feet that are above the ground almost like still walking.
Once you learn these two basic jumps, you are ready for your beginner workout. Most beginner workouts are structured to be 10 minutes long, which can be broken into a smaller block of 5 minutes. In the first set, you will basic jump for 30 seconds followed by a 30-second rest. Then you will alternate jump for 30 seconds followed by a 30-second rest. After this, you will rest for 60 seconds before starting your next set. For the next set, choose a heavier rope and basic jump for 40 seconds and rest for 20, then alternate jump for 40 seconds and rest for 20.
Jump Rope Exercises for Intermediate Level
Once you start getting used to the beginner exercises, it is time to up your game and move onto something a little more complex so that you can continue to gain benefits from jump rope. There are plenty of jump rope jumps you need to master at the intermediate level, some of which are the plyometric line jumps, boxer’s jump rope, high knees in place jump rope, and running jump rope.
Learning all these will help you take your workout to the next level. For the intermediate level, you will need to do the plyometric line jump for 2 minutes and then rest for 1 minute, then do the basic jump for 2 minutes and rest for 1, then move on to the boxer’s jump rope and rest for 1 minute. Move on to high knees in place of the jump rope exercise and rest for 1 minute, and then finish up with running jump rope and rest for 1 minute. The total workout will be around 15 minutes long.
Jump Rope Exercises for Advanced Level
For more advanced jump rope exercises, you can mix the basic jump or any of the jumps you like with other exercises like jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, kettlebell swings, squat jumps, and one-legged hop. If you do a sixty-second jump with 60 seconds of other exercises, it will create a more intense workout which will for sure leave you breathing heavy.
Choosing a jump rope exercise truly depends on what you are looking to build. If you are toning your body, then simple jump ropes can do the trick but if you are working on coordination, then alternate foot skip can be a great way to improve your coordination and agility.
What Surface Is Best For Jumping Rope?
The most common surface that is used for jump rope is concrete, since it is sturdy and provides a stable surface for jumping, plus the rough surface makes it slip-resistant so it is relatively safer to jump on concrete.
The problem with concrete is that there is no shock absorption, which means you can easily injure yourself, which is why professional athletes such as boxers jump on mats which are great at shock absorption. The mats, however, are too soft and need more force when jumping off – which makes the jumps slower. Grass can provide a great base to jump off and it is great at shock absorption, but you have to be careful on wet grass since you can easily slip while jumping on it.
When jumping rope, make sure that you are in an area where you can freely swing your rope without fearing that it will knock things over. Outdoors with open, sweeping space is the best option; however, you can do it indoors too, so even if you don’t have a garden or a driveway, you can still do it.
What Result Can You Expect From Jumping Rope?
If you are wondering what benefits you can attain from jumping rope, then it truly depends on why you are jumping rope in the first place. People who are looking to lose weight while also toning their bodies will find jump rope as a great alternative to traditional exercise.
Jumping rope can burn up to 300 calories in under 15 minutes. In fact, it burns even more calories than swimming and cycling. Jumping rope can improve coordination, which is why people who play soccer and basketball use jump rope to advance their footwork and moves, which is proved through research (Trecroci, 2015).
Jumping rope will also reduce the risk of any injury by strengthening your ankles and legs and since you are more aware and agile, you learn to coordinate your upper and lower body. Jumping rope is great for the health of your heart, so even people who are at risk for cardiovascular disease can jump rope.
Research published in the European Journal of Applied Psychology found that girls who suffered from hypertension showed reduced cardiovascular disease risk factors after only 12 weeks of jump rope training regime (Sung, 2018). According to a study, jump rope is also correlated with a higher bone density that can reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later life (ha, 2017).
