Now that the weather is getting nicer and the sun is shining, exercising outside sounds pretty tempting. Whether endurance or strength training - one of the many advantages of oneBodyweight training planis that you don't need any special equipment or expensive devices. Which training device costs less than 20 euros, fits in your handbag and trains the whole body at the same time? The answer is: the skipping rope. Believe it or not, jumping rope is actually twice as effective as jogging on the treadmill and the endless variations make it incredibly fun. If you're looking for ways to add some variety to your workout routine, then look no further than jump rope exercises! You can find out what benefits training has for our health and a great training plan in our article!
Many of us associate jumping rope with great childhood memories from the summer holidays. But what many people don't know is that it is the perfect way to strengthen endurance, muscles and coordination at the same time. So it's no surprise that more and more top athletes and celebrities are adding jumping rope to their workouts to stay in shape and lose weight. Since the speed at which you jump can be adjusted to your own fitness level, it is ideal for both beginners and advanced users.
Jumping rope exercises – What benefits does training have for our health?
To benefit from jumping rope training, the first thing you should do is make sure you choose the right rope. When you stand on the middle of the rope, the handles should be directly under your armpit. Below we will tell you what jumping rope brings and how it affects our health:
- Improves coordination –Regular jumping rope training promotes coordination and balance over time. The exercise requires quite a bit of hand-eye coordination, or to put it more simply - when you turn the rope with your hands, you have to follow it with your eyes to know exactly when to jump. This in turn helps prevent foot or ankle injuries in everyday life.
- Jumping rope effect on bone density –According to a scientific study from the University of Colorado, Denver, jumping rope exercises are the most effective way to strengthen bone density.
- Jumping Rope Benefits for Cardiovascular Health –Jumping rope is an excellent way to improve our endurance. Just 3 to 5 times a week for 15 minutes each is enough to improve heart and lung health.
- Makes us smarter –It may sound strange at first, but it's true. According to the Jump Rope Institute and the American College of Sports Medicine, this helpsJump ropeTraining in the development of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This improves reading skills and promotes memory.
- Can be done anywhere –The beauty of the skipping rope is that it fits perfectly in your handbag and you can use it to train anytime, anywhere. The numerous rope jumping variations ensure that your training always remains interesting and challenging. Additionally, it has already been proven that exercising outdoors helps reduce stress and improves our creativity and mental health.
Does jumping rope help you lose weight?
After just a few minutes you'll start to sweat a lot and your metabolism will be stimulated. In addition, jumping rope exercises use many muscle groups at the same time and are therefore ideal for an effective 20-minute workout at home. A study conducted by “Science Daily” found that jumping rope for 1 hour can burn up to 1,300 calories, depending on intensity and body weight. But how long should you jump rope for in order to lose weight? Well, 10 minutes of skipping is equivalent to about 30 minutes of jogging on the treadmill or 50 minutes on the elliptical.
However, the results depend on many factors, such as age, body weight, intensity of training and eating habits. If you want to lose a few pounds, you should be in a calorie deficit. This means you consume fewer calories than you burn. Therefore, losing weight by jumping rope only works in combination with a balanced and healthy diet. Many people wonder if you can lose weight on your stomach by jumping rope. Dynamic exercises as part of oneHIIT Training Plangenerally increase heart rate and stimulate fat burning. While jumping rope exercises are a great way to lose body fat, where that fat comes from depends on your body. While some may lose weight from their legs, others may lose more belly fat. Since you can't just lose weight in certain parts of your body, jumping rope is unfortunately not a magical exercise.
The correct technique and jumping rope muscle groups
Jumping rope exercises primarily train the upper and lower legs as well as the gluteal muscles. However, the swing also puts strain on the shoulders and forearms and if you also tense your stomach, you have the ideal full-body workout. Just like with all other exercises, correct technique is incredibly important when jumping rope in order to prevent serious injuries. Here are a few aspects that you should consider when carrying out the process.
- Avoid jumping too high or too early.
- Use your wrists, not your arms, to turn the rope. Also make sure that your elbows stay as close to your body as possible.
- When the rope is down, you should not extend your arms straight, just bend your elbows slightly.
- Distribute the weight between both hands.
- To protect your joints and prevent injuries, it is advisable to bend your knees slightly.
- Make sure the rope is not too long or too short.
- It's best to start slowly and give your body a chance to get used to the exercise before increasing the speed.
Get fit with jumping rope training
To successfully lose weight and get fit, you don't need to jump continuously for 1 hour. A HIIT rope jumping plan, in which short and intense sessions followed by rest periods, will make you sweat a lot and stimulate fat burning. The following rope jumping training consists of 3 cycles and lasts about 20-25 minutes. To achieve quick results, we recommend that you perform the training plan 3 to 4 times a week.
- Cycle 1 –Classic jump rope for 30 seconds, rest for 60 seconds and then jump for another 30 seconds. Repeat 9 times in total. To increase the level of difficulty, you can simply do the plank exercise between rounds instead of taking 60 seconds of rest.
- Cycle 2 –Jump rope with alternating feet for 30 seconds, rest for 70 seconds and repeat 4 times.
- Cycle 3 –30 seconds of classic rope jumping, rest for 10 seconds and jump for another 30 seconds. 10 seconds of rest followed by 30 seconds of burpees. And finally, rest for another 10 seconds and do classic push-ups for 30 seconds.
Jumping rope variations for more variety during training
The best thing about jumping rope exercises is that there are countless variations that provide even more variety and fun during training. Below you will find some of the most popular and effective jumping rope variations that are ideal for a full-body training plan.
- double punch –The variant is also known as Double Under and requires a lot of speed and balance. This is how it's done - jump up once and try to swing the jump rope under your legs twice.
- Cross punch– This jumping rope exercise also requires a little skill. Once the rope is above your head, cross your arms in front of your body and then hop over the twisted rope.
- Jumping rope on one leg –This variation primarily improves your coordination. To do this, simply jump on your left leg for 30 to 60 seconds and then repeat the exercise with your right leg.
- Hampelmann Rope Jumping –Jumping jacks are another classic endurance exercise that alsothe inner thighs are trainedand tightens. To do this, open your feet wide and then close them with each jump.
- High Knees –This exercise requires you to run in place and pull your knees toward your chest. The faster you do it, the higher your stroke frequency will be and fat burning will be stimulated.
- Jump forward and backward –As the name suggests, you have to jump forwards and backwards with each spin.
- Jump rope backwardsis a variant that requires more coordination and is only suitable for advanced users. To do this, place the rope in front of your feet and swing backwards over your head and then jump over it.
- To ski -Jump alternately to the left and right side.
- Jumping rope exercise with hip rotationAdditionally trains the oblique abdominal muscles and makes you sweat a lot. To do this, simply jump normally on the spot and rotate your hips alternately to the left and right.
- Cross-legged –Start with normal rope jumping and as soon as the rope is over your head, cross your legs in front of each other so that your body looks like an “X”.
- Jump rope with squats– By combining jumping rope and oneclassic squatyou have the perfect exercise to tone and strengthen your legs and butt. Start in a deep squat, twist the rope and jump over it, maintaining the squat position. Try not to straighten your legs between reps and stay squatting as long as possible.