Jump Rope: My New Favorite Workout
Fun, portable, and great for your heart and bones, why jumping rope earned a spot in my routine, plus tips to get started.
Looking to change up your routine? Try jumping rope, it's become one of my new favorites. The benefits are impressive: improved coordination for the feet and whole body, and stronger muscles around the ankle joint, which helps prevent injury in sports like tennis and basketball that involve frequent stopping and turning.
This full-body aerobic activity burns major calories, builds bone density and muscular endurance, improves cardiovascular health, and helps with balance. When I get in the zone, it also improves focus, feels meditative, and activates parts of the brain involved in spatial awareness.
Jump roping is fun, you can do it solo or in a group, to the rhythm of music or in silence. Try to maintain good posture with your chest and back aligned and eyes looking straight ahead, engage your core, and pull in your abdominal muscles.
Use a small circular motion of your wrists, softly bend your knees, and keep your jumps small so you can move quickly without expending too much energy. With time, you can add footwork or double-unders to challenge yourself, or use a weighted jump rope for more resistance.
Who's joining me in this fun workout?
Dr. Maggie Cadet, MD