Why jumping rope is important

Exercise for stress management. Secret benefits of weight loss. How air pollution affects your workout. View all related stories. Share this story. Download the app today! Living Better. And while jumping rope can be a great workout on its own, you can also use it as a warm-up or cooldown before weight training, or intersperse it with bodyweight exercises in an interval-style workout, says Mosbarger. All you need is a properly sized rope, an appropriate surface, comfortable clothes, and a little beginner know-how on proper form.

If the tops of the handles reach your armpits, your rope is sized correctly. Avoid jumping rope on superhard surfaces like concrete or asphalt as those can be hard on your joints, says Ezekh. Plus, your rope would likely get tangled in grass and sand. Mosbarger recommends jumping on top of a mat, if possible. You can buy a specialized jump rope mat , or simply use a thin yoga mat.

Jumping on top of a mat helps soften the impact on your joints, explains Ezekh. You can also jump on top of wood or really any type of gym floor, adds Mosbarger. It should start with good posture—think shoulders down and back, chest up, back straight, and eyes looking straight ahead. Position your elbows at the midline of your body, about two inches away from your sides, with hands pointing straight out, says Mosbarger. Then, with a handle in each hand, turn the rope using small circles with your wrists, says Ezekh.

Keep a soft bend in your knees, stay on the balls of the feet, and only jump high enough to clear the rope—no more than an inch, says Ezekh. On the footwork front, start with the basics, says DiPaolo. She recommends the basic bounce both feet jump once with each rotation of the rope or double basic bounce basic bounce, plus a small jump in between each rotation. You could also do the boxer shuffle, which is essentially a small jog in place where you shift your weight side to side.

From there, you can branch out to straddles basically, jumping jacks minus the arm movement , and staggers scissoring your legs forward and back , suggests Mosbarger. Once you have the form nailed, focus on jumping to a steady rhythm. Listening to music and trying to jump in time with the beat can help you establish a good rhythm, he says. Something else to consider? Weighted ropes provide jumpers with greater gains in coordination and endurance, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine.

Heavier ropes can also lead to greater agility gains, per another study originally published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. This makes them even more convenient for use when traveling.

Roberts says. Shop a range of options here. Weight Loss. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Taraji P. The portability of jump ropes make them an excellent option for outdoor workouts at your favorite park or exercise course.

Many city parks have pull-up bars and other outdoor exercise facilities. With a jump rope, you can get an awesome total-body workout by combining your favorite exercises on the available equipment with one- to three-minute jump rope intervals.

A jump ropes is the only piece of home cardio equipment you really need. And all you need for space is the ability to safely swing the rope without hitting any furniture or knick-knacks.

If you are thinking about making jumping rope a component of your personal workout program it's a good idea to invest in a good, durable jump rope. Purchasing a jump rope is not a significant investment, but you should spend a little to invest in a rope that is easy to adjust and that uses ball bearings to connect the rope and the handle.

Ropes with bearings tend to last a little longer than ropes that simply have the end knotted in the handle. The only other piece of equipment you need is a timer, which can easily be downloaded to a phone or tablet and used to set specific work-to-rest ratios. The following jump-rope workout will give you a few ideas for how to add it to your existing exercise program. This workout can either be performed at the end of a strength-training session or as a stand-alone workout on cardio day.

Perform multiplanar jumps by jumping in all three planes of motion. This helps prepare the muscles and connective tissues of your lower legs for the forces they will experience during the workout. Perform eight to 10 jumps, rest for 30 seconds, and perform two sets for each plane. Split-leg Jumps Sagittal Plane : Start with your right foot forward and left foot back. As you jump, move your left foot forward and right foot backward before landing. Wide-to-narrow Jumps Frontal Plane : Jump the feet out to shoulder-width apart and then directly under the hips.

External-to-internal Rotation Jumps Transverse Plane : Jump up and rotate your right foot to point toward 2 o'clock and the left foot toward 10 o'clock when you land.

As you jump back up, rotate the feet to point to 12 o'clock. To protect your knees, do not over rotate your feet and be sure to land with your knees slightly bent. Single-leg Jumps: Set your timer for one minute and spend 30 seconds on each leg. Rest for 15 to 30 seconds. Note: Start with 30 seconds; reduce your rest time as your fitness improves.

Complete a total of five minutes two-and-a-half minutes on each leg.