5 reasons to jump rope
by Andrew Deuchar
More and more people around the world are getting into skipping. Here's five reasons you should do it too.
#1. It's super efficient
We're all short on time, we all have busy schedules. Who's got time to go for an hour long run? It's hard enough managing the day as it is, and that's why so many well-intentioned exercise regimes fail.
But one of the things I love most about skipping is how efficient it is. A 20 minute workout 3-5 days per week is all you need to smash your fitness goals. It's a super efficient way of getting lean, improving your cardio and burning calories.
Because it's so efficient, you're much more likely to keep it up.
20 minutes. Think about that. By the time you've packed your gym bag, found a car park and that sweaty guy has finished with the bench press, you could've finished your workout.
#2. It's great for your mental health
Everyone knows how great exercise can be for your physical health. But in recent years people have become more and more aware of its mental health benefits. And that's hugely important.
Regular exercise can reduce stress, improve your sleep and reduce symptoms of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
Getting those endorphins flowing through your body will make you a whole lot more energised and productive, and just generally feeling better.
Skipping is also great for getting you outdoors, meeting new people, and building connections that will make you feel great.
30 minutes of exercise five days a week can make a huge difference to your well-being. That's why the most important kind of exercise is one that you're likely to sustain.
Skipping ticks all the boxes!
#3. You can do it anywhere
Remember that TV advert that said "you got a door, you got a gym". With skipping all you need is gravity. So that means you can do it just about anywhere, except maybe on the moon (we'll ask Elon Musk for an update soon).
I keep my skipping rope and tote in my backpack and usually do a 20 minute workout on the way home from work. When I was working from home, I did it in the park across the road on in the alleyway out the back of my unit.
It's such a light piece of fitness equipment you can literally take in anywhere.
But you can also do it in your home. And that's a pretty good alternative if you're not that keen to bust it out in public straight away (although you'll be surprised how encouraging and interested passers-by are).
Being able to do it anywhere also makes it a form of exercise that you're much more likely to sustain. So once you get started, you'll find it easier to keep going.
But be warned, once you get the jump rope bug you'll start seeing places around and thinking "that'd be a nice place to skip". ALL THE TIME!
#4. You'll learn loads of new skills
When was the last time you learned something new? You've probably forgotten just how awesome it feels.
Before I started skipping regularly I thought that all there was to it was jumping up and down in the same spot. But oh, how wrong I was!
There is seriously no end to the number of skills you can learn and different ways you can use a jump rope.
More than anything else, it's this that keeps me coming back for more. When I first started I struggled to learn new things. But I kept chipping away at it and in just a few weeks' time I was doing things that I would've thought were impossible - like letting go of one handle while still skipping, catching it, then continuing (a trick known as the "mic release").
It felt so damn amazing the first time I did that!
So unlike some other ways of getting fit, skipping is a form of exercise where you can just focus on learning new skills, and the physical benefits will happen as you go.
#5. It's so cost effective
A one off payment for about the same price as a pizza is all you need to get started. Granted pizza tastes much better but it doesn't make you feel great after it.
But skipping does!
Skipping is one of the most cost effective forms of exercise out there. And I reckon that's a pretty big hook in an industry saturated with Apps and subscriptions and everything else promising the world.
All you need is a skipping rope (and gravity)!
#6 (If you need another reason) - It's a whole lot of fun and it makes you feel great
Put that all together and what do you get? A fun, efficient, effective form of exercise that'll keep you coming back for more.
Give it a go and you'll be surprised just how much you'll enjoy it.
After a jump rope session I'm always so much more energised, focused and productive.
It's great for your health and you'll learn so much in the process.