At Evolution Fitness in Raleigh, NC, we focus on family fitness and look for ways to help solidify the concept of family fitness at home. Simple workouts with jump ropes don’t require fancy equipment and can be adjusted based on each person’s fitness level by difficulty and amount of time spent. One important thing to remember when choosing a jump rope, is to get a slightly heavier one. A heavier one will slow down how fast the rotation is and give you more feedback. Most people that have a problem jumping rope usually find this simple change of using a heavier rope makes it far easier.
Start with something simple and quick.
If you haven’t tried jumping rope for a while, you’ll find it’s far harder than you remember. You might want to start on your own before you get the kids involved. Here’s a beginner’s workout to get you started. You’ll use two types of jumps for this beginner workout, the basic jump, where you bounce on both feet at one time and the alternate foot jump, lifting one foot at a time. Do 30 seconds of the basic jump, then 30-seconds of rest. That’s followed by a 30 second session of alternate foot jumping, followed by a minute and a half of rest. Repeat. Do this with a heavier half pound rope. If you want to get more difficult, switch to a lighter weight rope and increase the amount of seconds you jump as you decrease your resting time.
You can modify your workout by changing the position of your feet.
Add jump rope jumping jacks to your war chest of exercises. Move your feet just as you do with jumping jacks, wide to narrow and then narrow to wide. Don’t start with your feet as wide apart as you can get them at first. Only widen them slightly then work toward further apart as you conquer it. You can cross your feet when you land or kick one foot forward when you jump. The goal is always to get both feet off the ground at the same time so the rope can pass under it.
Work the upper body with side swings or side swipes.
No matter what you call it, it’s a great workout for the upper body if you use a heavier rope. You won’t be jumping the rope, but swinging it to each side of your body. Make it rotate in a circle on one side and then swing the rope to the other side and do the same. Hold one end of the rope in each hand. If you start with the rotation on the left side, bring your right hand over and hold it just above the left hand. When you take the rope to the other side, the left hand should be on top. Use the same rhythm as you would to jump so you can add regular jumps after a few seconds.
- Make sure your posture is good when you jump. Keep your back straight and stand tall. Imagine you’re trying to push your head straight toward the clouds. Your elbows should be tucked back and you should feel relaxed.
- Use only your wrists to turn the rope. If you’re moving your shoulders or elbows, your form isn’t correct.
- Don’t try to get too high off the ground when you jump. It should be done lightly, keeping your knees slightly bent when you jump.
- Don’t depend on just rope jumping to get into shape. Just jumping ten minutes has the effect on your legs and knees as running an eight-minute mile. If you have joint problems, don’t jump until you seek the advice of your physician.
For more information, contact us today at Evolution Lifestyle Fitness