Backyard Back-Ups : A Jump Rope Workout

I like simplicity.  Maybe it’s because I’m such a nut and I need simplicity to balance out all the craziness in my head.  One of the simplest forms of exercises that you probably learned on the playground in elementary happens to be a fantastic workout: jumping rope. It’s another one of my backyard backup exercises.  Perfect when you just don’t have time or feel like going to the gym. And if you are a workout at home person it’s a must-have.  Depending on how hard you push yourself you can burn 10-20 calories a minute all while improving coordination and agility. And it’s cheap.  You can get a decent jumprope for less than $5.  The only problem is that it can a little frustrating. Despite learning how to do it over 20  years ago it’s still a challenge and I miss jumps. I think it’s fun to count my jumps until I miss then start over and try to get more jumps than the previous count. It’s also helpful to switch up jumps, i.e., do regular jumping, then skips, then if I’m feeling really brave and adventurous try rotating the rope backwards or do double jumps (which I’m really bad at).  Here is simple jumprope routine to do on cardio days.  

Jump Rope Workout

1 minute of basic traditional jumping
1 minute of punches (Don’t worry no one’s watching)  Here is the best video I could find online. 
30 seconds of high knees while jump-roping
30 seconds of butt kicks while jump-roping 
1 minute of controlled side kicks (like last week) 
1 minute of  backward jumping

Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 more times. If you are able jump at high intensity and slow down for your punches and kicks so you heart rate can recover from the jumping.  Now go find some stairs so you can run to the top and hold your hands up above your head.

If you’re new to my blog I do my best to limit to restrain myself from Rocky references although every now and then I just can’t resist.

xoxo
j

Tags: HIIT cardio, Interval Training, jump rope

About jennincat

I'm so happy you stopped by my little corner of the web where I write about fitness, food, and amazing women I "meet". I live in California with my wonderful husband and two rambunctious boys. I'm a personal trainer and dreamer. I enjoy most things but some of my favorites are reading, acting, camping, cooking, music, writing, traveling, and being in the moment with my favorite people! You can read more about me here! I hope you stop by often!

View all posts by jennincat →