When I was a kid, I used to jump rope for hours. In fact, my elementary school hosted a fundraising event each year called Jump Rope for Heart, where students of all ages would gather in the multipurpose room after school and jump rope for sponsorship. As a child, I simply saw it as a fun activity to engage in with friends, but I had no idea what a great service I was doing to my body.
Jumping rope is a great, cardiovascular workout. I jump rope often for at least 20-30 minutes at a time. That may sound like a long time for those of you who are just getting back on the wagon, but trust, you can do that in the same amount of time it takes to enjoy an episode of your favorite sitcom. In fact, I often jump rope in my living room while watching television.
Jumping rope can help you burn up to 15 calories a minute. That’s a whopping 300 calories in a 20-minute session! Most of the snacks I consume in between meals (i.e. fruit and a serving of raw almonds) don’t even amount to that much. I ran across a great article about jumping rope that I highly recommend anyone who is interested in incorporating this activity into their workout regimen read. You can find it here: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sampleworkouts/a/jump_rope.htm.
Newcomers to the activity beware: This can cause your calves to seriously ache, so take your time and build your endurance gradually.
That’s it for my exercise tip of the day!
1 comment:
I absolutely love this little tip!! I'm a college freshman, and thankfully, I haven't put on the freshman 15, but I have gained a little. After being cooped up in class all day the last thing I want too do is walk on a treadmill or get on an eliptical at the gym. This will be a fun work out and I can do it while I'm watching tv! I love your fitness tips!!
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