Is Jump Rope a Good Cardio Workout
Any physical exercise that increases your heart rate and makes your lungs work harder than usual, promoting healthy blood flow for cardiovascular health is considered a good cardio. Although cycling, running or hopping on the elliptical machine are the mostly-used cardio workouts, fitness trainers are now increasingly using and recommending jump rope exercise as the standard cardio because it helps in gaining strength, improving coordination, and losing weight.
Benefits: Is It Better Than Running?
Studies have shown that the amount of calories you can burn by a 10-minute jump rope workout is equivalent to that burned by either jogging for 30 minutes or running at 8-minute mile speed. You can easily burn around 200 calories by only practicing two 10-minute rope-jumping sessions per day.
Moreover, running or jogging puts a lot of stress on your knees, hips, and ankles. Replacing it with rope-jumping can significantly reduce the force of impact on your leg joints while helping to build bone-mineral density and gain strength. It improves muscular endurance, helping you to perform everyday tasks with ease.
Choosing the Best Jump Ropes for Cardio
If you are including jump rope exercise in your cardio workout, here are some jump ropes available in the market that you can go for:
- Adjustable Plastic Jump Rope: Can be used by children, adults, as well as sportspeople regardless of their experience level.
- Plastic Jump Rope: Good for doing higher-intensity jumps like double-unders.
- Adjustable PVC Jump Rope: Ideal for the tallest of jumpers, can be easily shortened.
Jump Rope Cardio Workout Routines
Here are some simple cardio routines that involve rope-jumping in conjunction with bodyweight training, which is good for reducing fat while increasing lean muscle mass.
1. 15-Minute Circuit Workout
- Basic Jump Rope (sets: 1, reps: 60 secs)
- Jumping Jack (sets: 1, reps: 60 secs)
- Arms-and-Abs Squeeze, alternating between two jump rope pulldowns and two standing side crunches (sets: 1, reps: 60 secs)
- Jump Overs (sets: 1, reps: 60 secs)
- Stability Lunge with Jump Rope (sets: 1, reps: 60 secs)
Repeat the circuit thrice so that you do the entire routine in 15 minutes.
2. 20-Minute Workout Routine
- Single Jump Rope (sets: 1, reps: 60 secs)
- Tricep Push Ups (sets: 1, reps: 14)
- High-Intensity Two Foot Jump Rope (sets: 1, reps: 60 secs)
- Crisscross Crunch (sets: 1, reps: 14)
- High-Intensity Single Foot Jump Rope (sets: 1, reps: 60 secs)
- Alternating Lunges (sets: 1, reps: 14)
- Alternating Feet Jump Rope (sets: 1, reps: 60 secs)
Repeat the set thrice, so that your total workout time is 20 minutes.