Skipping/Jumping Rope
I recently bought a skipping rope to help strengthen my legs and ankles primarily to help improve my ballroom dancing.
I find skipping a great exercise for the following reasons…
- Simple – 1 piece of lightweight and compact equipment
- Fast – you don’t need to do much to work up a sweat, great cardiovsacular workout
- Cheap – you’ll pay between R20-R50 for a decent rope
- Portable – take it anywhere, you need a small space to exercise
- Co-ordination
Get a rope that requires more effort to swing to get more of an upper body workout. A leather rope swings too easily to really stress your upper body.
Try some variations for a more complete workout
- Both Legs – jump with both legs at the same time
- Alternate Leg – running on the spot
- Arm Crossover – cross your arms in front of you
- Backwards – co-ords and works back more
- 1 Leg – do x on one leg and then switch, keep your other leg under, behind or in front of you [only try this once your fit as it puts quite a bit of strain on your knees]
Trojan Nylon Jump Rope
A great cheap rope – light rope means it takes quite some effort to swing which means more exercise.