What do school girls, boxers, CrossFitters and a lot of leading sportsmen and women have in common? If you said skipping then go to the top of the class!
Skipping, or jumping rope, is a popular and highly effective form of exercise that offers a lot of benefits you really need to ask why even more people aren’t skipping their way to fitness.
For starters, jump rope needs no fancy gym membership, no expensive equipment, and no special clothing and can be done almost anywhere. If you have an extra room, a decent-sized lounge, a garage or a garden, you have somewhere to skip. Jump ropes are also really portable, are long lasting and the action of skipping is swiftly learned and slowly forgotten.
After that, think about how jumping influences your physical body. It involves virtually each of your major muscles, will reinforce your bones, burns lots of calories and will certainly strengthen your heart and lungs. As overall workouts go, skipping is extremely hard to beat.
In addition to conditioning your heart and muscles, jumping rope will also boost the function of your nervous system. Jumping over your rope will boost your coordination, eye-hand coordination, balance, agility and speed; all important components for many sporting activities. It’s not surprising that that skipping is such a big part of every boxer’s training. Continue reading