Why A Cutting-Edge Skipping Rope Should Take Over Your Fitness Routine

When was the last time you jumped rope? For me it was a few weeks back when my friend bet me $20 that there was no way I could skip non-stop for one hour.

Twenty lost dollars later, I got to thinking: rope skipping is actually a portable, cheap, effective and fun way to stay in shape. And with all the effort and money we spend on fitness these days, it seems quite silly to ignore the long-loved traditional activities.

So why not pick up the rope and start skipping?

If you do, you will find that the ropes of today are not entirely as simple as the ones from back in the day. Equipped with the latest tech advances, they can now track your progress, monitor heart rate and calorie burn, give fitness advice and even convert your spent energy into light by turning into a portable flashlight.

And if curiosity is not enough to have you reaching for the modern skipping rope, here are ten motivational rope-skipping facts that will get you jumping in no time:

It burns calories. Fast.

When choosing between your regular morning jog or a power walk in the afternoon, try picking up the good old jump rope instead. It can help you lose up to 1000 calories (!) in one hour, compared to 300 calories for walking and 500 for a light jog.

It’s cheap.

Rope-skipping remains one of the most effective and economical workout solutions to this day. There are no membership fees, monthly payments or pricey personal training sessions. All you have to do is jump, anywhere, anytime.

It’s fun

While you may actually enjoy running on a treadmill or sweating away on a Stairmaster, you have to admit that jumping even sounds more exciting. Remember all the fun you used to have as a kid, when you did not care about waist line and muscle tone? So just for a moment, forget about fitness – and just play!

It works the whole body

You may think that your legs are taking all the pain during rope work-outs, but it’s not so. Your stomach muscles will be working to keep you balances, your arms and shoulders will be in charge of swinging the rope and your heart will be pumping.

Indoor or Outdoor? You don’t have to care.

Yes, with a jumping rope, you can exercise anywhere you want, even if the space is limited. Rain or shine, you will have no excuse for not going through with your skipping workout. And alternating exercise environments has actually proved to be a positive performance factor.

You can take it anywhere

Traveling on business or heading home for Christmas, you can take your new-found fitness companion absolutely anywhere and not worry about excessive luggage. You can even do some skipping right before boarding the plane!

You don’t have to be an athlete to jump

Whether you are a fitness enthusiast or have fallen quite behind with your work-outs, your skipping rope will not pass judgment. You could skip rope as a kid and you can do it now. Just focus on increasing the length and intensity of your workouts, as you get fitter and leaner.

It can keep you warm this winter

Skipping rope for just a few minutes can have a much better and healthier effect that a cup of hot chocolate. So if you are reluctant to head out into the snow, just do a few jumps to get your blood running.

It is not monotonous

Yes, rope jumping is all about jumping. But there are a tons of variations to keep you challenged and entertained. One foot jumps, side straddles, front straddles, running in place, double under and the skier are just a few examples. Besides, with all the “techy” additions we mentioned earlier, you are sure to be far from bored.

It will make you happy

It’s as simple as that. Physical activity gets your body to release endorphins, which will make you feel relaxed, invigorated and simply happy. Besides, you can always go over those happy childhood memories of skipping rope with friends in the backyard.

Ready to jump? Check out Chinavasion’s Bluetooth Skipping Rope.