Shape Up Your Fitness Routine and Jump Rope

Jumping rope is not for ten year olds any more. It is a super way for adults to get fit all over. Jumping rope burns lots of calories fast.

As children we would jump rope for fun, not even considering the exercise value. Or did we even care about cardio exercise. Jumping rope was just plain old fun. We especially liked the double Dutch and the Chinese jump roping. We could spend hours as children having fun rope jumping.

Jumping rope is a very inexpensive way to get a total body workout. But unlike the hours spent as a child, I find jumping rope as an adult much harder. Perhaps because I have a lot more weight to propel up and down. The only requirements are a rope (preferably balanced), a pair of cross-training shoes and enough space to jump.

Jumping rope can be easier on the body than jogging or running. You are not lifting your body as high and nor propelling your body forward. If you start out slowly and limber up before starting to skip the rope, you will build up endurance quicker with-out injury. So start out very slowly.

You can either use jumping as you whole cardio workout or you can jump rope in between you normal work-out routine. Mixing it up will increase your results.

How to get the perfect jump

First: Adjust the length of your rope so when you are standing on it with both feet, the handles reach your armpits.

Second: Hold the rope in front of you, away from your body, palms facing down. Step over the rope and drop your arms.

Third: Now loop the rope over your head, with feet together jump just high enough to clear the rope.

Fourth: When jumping, keep elbows in and arms at waist level.

Skipping rope is not a new concept for adults, but has just recently begun to get very popular. Once you get the hang of it again you will feel like a child again. After a while you will even notice how light on your feet you have become. The best part is when jumping rope becomes fun again.

If you work-out with a group, why not have double Dutch jumping competitions? Make exercise fun again. Instead of calling your exercise routine a work-out you will be calling it fun.

Put the fun back in your healthy lifestyle and start jumping rope.