SKIP IT
Jump Rope Benefits You Don’t Want to Skip
BY HIRANMAYII AWLI MOHANAN
Although skipping rope was originally mostly associated with schoolgirls, boxers use it as a favourite training tool for a reason, or rather, a number of reasons. They have utilised it for strength, balance and cardiovascu- lar training for a very long time. Nowadays, people from many walks of life and other sports are becoming aware of the health benefits of hopping cables, which go far beyond preventing a left hook. Examples of celebrities include Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner.
If you’ve been sedentary for the last three months, it might be wise to start with a low-impact cardio option to build your aerobic base first. This is because while jumping rope may look easy and it’s possible to remem- ber it as such from way back in the day, it’s anything but. There are several benefits to using a rope in your exercise programme, yet nothing worthwhile ever comes easily. Following are how skipping rope can make you jump for joy.
IMPROVES BONE HEALTH
Rope jumping is a load-bearing exercise or an exercise that requires you to put weight on your skeleton. For this reason, it helps to improve your bone health. Additionally, be- cause it promotes bone formation in children, it may have an even bigger effect on young individuals even if it’s fantastic for preserving bone density in adults. On the other hand, a study published in BioMed Research International suggests that weight-bearing exercises like jumping rope may also aid to enhance bone health in postmenopausal women, the group most affected by osteoporosis. So skip- ping rope has sealed itself as a terrific habit to develop and maintain a strong skeleton throughout your life at any age.
COULD PREVENT INJURY
Jumping rope is supposed to help avoid injuries since the stronger a bone is, the more difficult it is to break it. For instance, osteoporosis patients are more likely to fracture their bones during routine activities like leaning over. The more weight-bearing exercises you engage in throughout your life, such as rope jumping, the lower your risk of developing osteoporosis and breaking bones in minor mishaps. Rope jumping may also help prevent injuries to the ankle, because the movement utilises and therefore strengthens all the muscles that support it. Jumping rope is a great way to build stability and mobility of the ankle joint. These benefits make jumping rope great for anyone looking to avoid injury or for someone who is coming back from an injury.
IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
Experts maintain that jumping rope is a great cardiorespiratory exercise. Why? Jumping rope can be high intensity. This means that the heart rate response to jumping rope can be much higher than other forms of cardio like walking, jogging, or cycling; although you can push hard on these types of cardio to get a high-intensity workout as well. Such cardio- vascular exercise isn’t just good for the heart and lungs, either. It can help prevent weight gain, high blood pressure, Diabetes, certain types of cancers and a number of other clinical conditions, too. Skip the cardio machines, whip out your jump rope, and reap the heart- healthy benefits it provides.
IMPROVES COORDINATION AND BALANCE
Coordination is key to a successful rope jump specifically amongst your hands, feet, and eyes so repeated practice can improve your overall coordination. It takes concentration and body awareness to jump rope; it’s not an easy exercise. On the other hand, jumping rope can be challenging if you lack coordination to begin with. In order to keep things as simple as possible with basic skips, we suggest beginning out at a manageable pace (aka slowly).
HELPS FIND YOUR RHYTHM
Jumping rope is all about timing. When you start getting creative with it, such as by performing high knees, double-unders, criss-crosses, and double side swipes, you’ll see a rapid improvement in your speed and rhythm. If tricks aren’t your thing, try occasionally switch- ing between a fast and slow cadence to keep your pace interesting.
BURNS OFF THE CALORIES
Skipping rope is one of the best calorie-burn- ing exercises. Its burn rate is between 667 to 990 calories per hour. What’s more: Research supports the idea that jumping rope provides a better burn than running. According to a recent 2011 study, skipping rope has a MET value [a measure used to estimate the amount of energy an activity expends] of 11, while running at 5mph (12 min/mile) has a MET value of 8.3. Running at a speed of 7mph (8.5 min/mile) has a MET value of 11, the equivalent to skipping rope. In other words, you have to run pretty fast to equal (the caloric burn) of jumping rope.