On the west coast we are seeing a surge in wild fires and smoke covering our skies making it difficult for those of us used to exercising outdoors to get quality cardio exercise. If you are interested in getting a cardio exercise indoors to reduce exposure to poor air quality outside, jump rope is a great option. According to Science Daily (1), jumping rope “can achieve a "burn rate" of up to 1300 calories per hour of vigorous activity, with about 0.1 calories consumed per jump” and “ten minutes of jumping rope can roughly be considered the equivalent of running an eight-minute mile.” That is the more scientific explanation of the benefits of jump rope while below I will tell you of my own experience with this exercise:
When I was training as a Rhythmic Gymnast, I remember routinely starting practice with 3 to 10 minutes of jump rope. Jump rope would get my heart rate going and my body warmed up for me to start stretching. Today when I jump rope, I feel my body naturally tightening my stomach and abs while also slightly toning my arms which are swinging the rope.
I urge readers not to underestimate the benefits of just a few minutes of exercises like jump rope each day, especially with dedicated consistency over time. If you feel a craving for a snack in-between meals, try to jump rope for as long as you can prior to eating your snack. If you can, try to avoid eating the snack after jump rope and see if you can wait to eat until meal time. Let me know how this impacts your in-between meals food craving over time!
References
1) “Jump Rope.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, www.sciencedaily.com/terms/jump_rope.htm.
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