I think this is already a craze and I'm just hearing about it... but it just seems so obvious, after I read this article on Well + Good: How to Master the Jump Rope and Why You Really Should I felt like it was a great challenge for me to start. So far it's been great, I can't do much but working my way up slowly to a nice big jump rope session for myself (well at least 3 minutes). At Aeropsace in NYC, Michael Olajide, Jr., uses the jump rope to whip his clients into ridiculous shape—most famously Victoria Secret models, that's enough evidence for me.
Why should we learn to jump rope? It’s a cardio and endurance-building workout like none other, swears Olajide, in part because it takes you out of your comfort zone.
“It requires full-body movement and coordination—versus a spin bike, say, which only targets your lower body. And it engages your reactionary reflexes. Your muscles must respond to quick and slow movement. That’s what’s still missing from a lot of cardio, and why jumping rope really keeps your head in the game,” Olajide says.
I felt it was a little of that whole thing in which you wake up certain reflexes in your body and your brain that you don't normally use, it's supposed to be good to fight against Alzheimer's. I like when my exercise is not only good for my body but my brain too.
How to get through the first minute? Olajide gave these simple tips for how to minimize frustration, so soon you’ll be skipping rope in your sleep. Or anywhere you and your new fitness BFF, the jump rope, want to go.
1. Get the right rope
Olajade’s students use the Aerospace Rainmaker, so named for the sweat the rope will pull out of you. It has a fast ball-bearing handle with light-weight poly-nylon cord. “It’s very responsive, and doesn’t lose its arc,” he explains. Your rope should hit the ground right in front of you. If it’s too long, tie a knot in the rope up by the handle.
2. Turn the rope from your wrists
“Unlike when you’re running stairs or spinning, your wrists generate the movement. They’re also your accelerator. The faster your wrist turns, the more torque,” he says. Keep your wrists close to your hips and your arms fairly still.
3. Stay on your balls of your feet.
Your heels don’t make contact. And a small bend in the knee is fine. But the less bend in the knee you have, the faster you can go.
4. When you see the rope, jump the rope.
This is key to coordination. “Your hands are a lot faster and smarter than your legs, which have to work to keep up. It’s a dexterity thing that takes practice."
get the full story by clicking through to Well + Good
and click here to get a starter 3-minute workout to help you get going!
