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The Benefits of Jumping Ropes
A jumping rope is perhaps the easiest and most
convenient form of exercise imaginable – it can be practiced by virtually
anyone, of any age and level of fitness. You don’t need any special or
costly equipment or a large area to do it – a decent rope which costs as
little as a few dollars and a good pair of shoes is basically all you need.
Jumping ropes can be done alone or with others
just as easily. It’s also the ideal exercise to do when traveling – a small
rope can easily be packed in a suitcase or briefcase. Jumping ropes can
easily be combined with other workout techniques such as walking or cycling.
And jumping ropes are a favorite of children, too
– children are usually much more proficient at it than adults and most
children like to do it, with little encouragement needed. Jumping ropes
demonstrates to kids that exercise actually can be easy and fun, as well as
helping to build self esteem and encourage competitive activity. Some
children find it a good way to meet other children and overcome shyness.
Another advantage of jumping ropes is that even the
least athletic of children tend to enjoy the activity and often sees it as
fun, rather than as exercise. Most children, once they have mastered the
basic movements, are usually keen to move on to more complex jump rope
maneuvers.
Jumping ropes may seem to be merely something that
children do in the school playground, but a large number of athletes and
sports players incorporate the rope into their training routine. Some of the
sports that regularly incorporate it into their training program include
basketball, skiing, football and tennis.
For such a simple exercise, jumping ropes burns a
surprisingly high amount of calories – up to 1000 calories in an hour.
Surprisingly, jumping ropes is one of the most effective methods of losing
calories in a short time when combined with a good diet. Just ten minutes of
fairly strenuous exercise with the rope is as effective as thirty minutes of
jogging, twelve minutes of swimming or running a twelve minute mile.
Jumping ropes actually have an advantage over
jogging or running. With jump ropes, the shock of hitting the ground is
absorbed equally by both feet, whereas with running or jogging, each foot
may absorb up to five times your body weight when you hit the ground. With
jump ropes, the calf muscles tend to absorb the impact, causing less muscle
strain.
Using a jumping rope tones the muscles in every
major muscle group, throughout the entire body. Regular jump rope practice
will also help in the development of long lean muscles. A jump rope workout
also optimizes cardiovascular conditioning and studies also show that jump
rope exercises can help to build and maintain healthy bones.
Apart from the physical benefits, a session with a
rope can also help develop basic coordination skills and balance as well as
agility skills. Amateur and professional boxers have used jump ropes for
many years to perfect their footwork. And anybody who uses jump ropes knows
that you will learn to have a great sense of timing after a while.
Without a doubt, jump ropes are not just for
children. If you haven’t participated since you were back in the school
playground – get that rope out of the closet and start getting back in
shape!
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