Super Jump Fitness

The best fitness includes activating core muscles which is what jumping rope does for the body.

To perform this, you need to recruit the powerful muscles in your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. You also need to rely on your calves to help you hop when the rope goes under your feet, which the American Council on Exercise says helps strengthen the calf muscles and improves the elasticity of the surrounding tendons and fascia.

It’s obvious that jump rope benefits your lower body, but it’s not just these muscles that do all the work. The muscles in your upper body, and more specifically, the shoulders, biceps, triceps and forearms all work together to rotate the rope around your body. Abdominal muscles will feel the burn when skipping rope.

To meet physical activity guidelines of one hundred fifty minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise or seventy five minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, consider adding a variety of jump rope exercises to your weekly fitness routine.

Jump Rope for Heart Circuit

Move 1: Jump Rope Hops

1. Stand with feet together and grip a jump rope handle in each hand.
2. Put the jump rope behind you, so the rope touches the ground behind your heels.
3. Begin jumping with both feet together by swinging the rope in front of your body, down to the floor. Jump to allow the rope to travel under your feet.
4. Jump for 30 seconds.

Move 2: Jump Rope Jog Step

1. Stand with feet together and grip a jump rope handle in each hand.
2. Put the jump rope behind you so the rope touches the ground behind your heels.
3. Swing rope in front of the body and jump on one leg as the rope goes under your foot. Repeat this pattern by alternating legs.
4. Jump for 30 seconds.