The Benefits of Jumping Rope

By: Reuben Pearlman

If you were unable to attend our last double under workshop, you’re in luck! Crossfit 718 is hosting another workshop on June 26, 2016.

If you did attend our last one, then you know how valuable the time spent on nailing those DU’s has been to your progress in the box. However, if you simply weren’t interested in it last time, keep reading and learn about some of the amazing benefits of jumping rope (and then come this time!).

The benefits of this simple yet complex training technique are many; jumping rope is a brain exercise, a bone builder, and one of the most efficient ways to improve cardiovascular fitness. Research has shown that only ten minutes of jumping rope can provide the same benefits as 30 minutes of jogging or 720 yards of swimming! Go do some thrusters with all that time you saved!

Jumping rope has been rated as a perfect building block to fitness, and categorized as a healthy exercise that can produce positive changes in the body and brain. The American Heart Association endorses jumping rope and encourages millions of children annually to jump their way into cardiovascular health.

At a fundamental level, jumping helps to develop the left and right hemispheres of the brain, to further improve spatial awareness, increase memory and improve mental alertness. Jumping on the balls of your feet requires the body and mind to make neural muscular adjustments to imbalances created from continuous jumping. As a result, jumping improves dynamic balance and coordination, reflexes, bone density and muscular endurance.

Jumping rope has also been shown to help avoid the knee damage which may occur during running, since the impact of each jump or step is absorbed by both legs. Jumping rope also helps strengthen the arms and shoulders. This combination of an aerobic workout and coordination-building footwork has made jumping rope a popular form of exercise for athletes.