Stay Home. Work Out. Look Great.

Ok, I recently started doing frog jumps and skater jumps and shuffling back and forth in my living room as a way to pump up my home workouts.  Then, I realized I could do another type of jumping…add in one of those old school activities into my at home workout.  So, I pulled my jump roap out of storage and decided to give it a try!  It’s now becoming my favorite part of my home workout program.  Use whatever type of jumproap you have, even one your kid’s rope — as long as it is long enough!   Here’s what you get by doing this quick jump roap routine — your heart rate up, it’s challenging, and the best part is that it is fun!!  I’m a big fan of the jump board on the pilates reformer and this gives me that same carefree feeling like I’m a kid again.  Try using a weighted jumprope or like I said, grab your kids rope – as long as it is long enough!Be sure to put on your shoes for this one – many people have weaknesses in their feet they don’t even know about. It’s better to be safe and as stable as possible.  So, put socks and sneakers on.  Also, when you jump try to land as softly as possible – softening at the knees as you come down.

Here’s the Basic Jump Rope Workout that I’ve been adding to my at home workout:

• 20 regular pace – I do this with the kind double jumping in between swings.
• 20 regular pace – I jump only once each time rope swings over – it’ll feel slower
• 20 double-time pace – Try to speed it up but still doing the single jumps
• 20 regular pace – Back to regular Pace
• 20 right foot only
• 20 left foot only
• repeat 3-5x

I try to do this circuit  somewhere 3-5 times depending on my energy level.  Don’t rest between unless you really need to.  Try working up to going through it 3x without stopping.  Then repeat the workout at least two more times during the day so you get a good amount of cardio in for the day. Try to build up to 10 or more cycles per session.

Some other variations that I throw in are a few of my favorite Valslide exercises like mountain climber, knees in, pike, 1 leg v-up.  For more information on the valslide, check out Valerie Waters website.  I use the Valslide every single day and it is amazing for getting in a quick, effective home workout program.  Stay tuned for a full review of Valslides and me doing a workout with them.  Even though this post is about the jump rope, I use the valslides every single day, so I will definitely talk about them in more detail.

Try out jumproping and see how far you can go with it!

One final note, ALWAYS check with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.  Jumping can be tough on the knees so it’s important to know that you have no issues in your knees, feet or hips before you begin!