A jump rope might be the only piece of home cardio equipment you need
Photo by Chichi Onyekanne/Unsplash
More often than not, gym regulars jump ropes to warm up. What some people don’t know though is that jumping rope itself is an effective cardiovascular exercise—which you can do anywhere, anytime. When you swing a jump rope more than 20 times, you’ve already burned calories and elevated your heart rate. Not only is it a portable cardio tool but it can also be used for full body workouts that strengthen muscles and tones the body. Here’s why you should invest in one:
It strengthens leg muscles
If done regularly, jumping rope strengthens your calf muscles and improves the elasticity and resilience of your lower leg tendons. According to Elitersfitness.com, some jump rope exercises that strengthen the leg muscles specifically are high knee steps, jump rope burpees, and lateral hurdle steps.
It actually burns more calories than jogging
According to Science Daily, 10 minutes of skipping is equivalent to jogging an eight-minute mile. An average person can burn up to 300 calories after doing a simple 15-minute rope exercise. Another advantage that comes with a jump rope is that you can burn calories anywhere—whether you’re in quarantine or traveling.
It decreases risk of foot and ankle injuries
The activitity can also strengthen the muscles in your ankle joints and feet. It improves muscle coordination and gets you used to the balls of your feet rather than depending on your heels to move. The reason why a lot of athletes like LeBron James use a jump rope is that it develops agility, hand-foot coordination, rhythm, and balance—all of which are essential to avoid ankle-related injuries.
It develops mental coordination
It is a cyclic exercise that requires you to be steady and in rhythm, which improves hand-eye and foot-eye coordination. It also helps you to learn new motor patterns that require your nervous system to communicate with your brain, wrist, and lower leg muscles—all of which improve cognitive function. It also makes you smarter because jumping has proven to improve the left and right hemispheres of your brain, which develops focus, memory and special awareness.
It improves cardiovascular health
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, skipping rope exercises improve heart and lung health if you do it three to fives times a week for 12 to 20 minutes.