When it comes to exercise, old-school basics are best. Obtaining a solid cardio workout should not have to consist of expensive and busy gyms, bulky home exercise equipment and app membership fees, or trying to keep up with others in a group fitness class. Want an effective and easy way to get in a solid workout? Pick up a jump rope.

Yes, a jump rope. A staple of many elementary gym classes, this is a simple and affordable fitness tool that can be used by anyone, just about anywhere. All that is required is you, a jump rope, and a small open space (clear of anything you may take out while moving the rope). And you don’t need fancy footwork or 45 minutes of grueling sweat. Starting with even just one minute a day can impact your health.

Check out 5 Benefits of Jumping Rope below to see how it can improve your body and mind.

1) Calorie Burner

Jumping rope, even at a light and steady pace, can burn anywhere between 15-20 calories per minute. Even as a beginner, you can burn calories with just a couple of minutes of work. And once you build up your endurance, a 10-minute warm-up session equals 200 calories. Jumping rope can also be a great addition to circuit training. Between strength exercises, you can add in 1 minute of jumping rope. Not only will this keep your heart rate elevated, but it’s also a great way to efficiently burn calories in any simple 15-20 minute circuit workout.

2) Full Body Strength Session

There is no doubt jumping rope is good for your heart, but it’s also a full-body conditioning workout from head to toe. Besides a racing heart rate and beads of sweat, jumping rope is a full lower body workout effectively targeting your calves, quads, and hamstrings, as well as a light endurance workout for your biceps and shoulders. And the entire time, your core stabilizers are hard at work.

3) Fast Feet

Jumping rope and working on the various footwork styles on the rope can translate to improved agility on the field. Quick stepping and jumping improve the strength, power, and elasticity of your leg muscles, especially those in the ankles and feet. Quickly moving on the rope improves your ability to cut, pivot, and move on the football field, basketball court, or boxing ring. It can pair well with an agility ladder and various cone drills.

4) Brain Power

Jumping rope helps keep your brain sharp. As you improve your rope skills, your brain is learning, adapting, and improving coordination skills. Your nervous system is getting a workout and helps to efficiently speed up communication skills from your brain to your legs, feet, wrists, and hands. This can help with the quick reaction for your sport of choice, but as we age, this can help improve reaction time which may save older individuals from falls and fractures.

5) Sharpening your Sense of Space and Time

It may sound like something out of a Matrix movie, but jumping rope can help you have a better sense of your surroundings and peripheral vision. A benefit to jumping rope is you do not need much space. A challenge to jumping rope is not to knock over what may be around you or whip someone nearby. While jumping rope, you tend to move slightly and have to make some corrections, constantly aware of and checking what may be next to you, behind you, or in front of you. As an athlete, this can help you be more aware of who or what may be near and help you make quick adjustments to avoid a collision or being caught by an opponent.

There are dozens of benefits to jumping rope, with many studies to back it up. The bottom line is jumping rope is a simple, affordable, and easy exercise. It is accessible to many regardless of income, location, or skill level. The jump rope is an effective exercise tool that continuously challenges one to adapt on several levels. It is a lower impact exercise on the joints, portable, an effective calorie burner, and provides many cross-over benefits that not only apply to athletes but to everyday individuals to keep them agile and aware of their surroundings. The next time you need an effective and efficient workout, consider reaching for the jump rope.

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