Did you know you can jump rope with and without a rope? You can jump rope even if you don’t lift your feet from the ground… so long as your effort is up and energy is high, you’ll get a in a great cardio workout.
Give it a try. Find 20 minutes for yourself, or even set your alarm for 20 minutes earlier tomorrow and squeeze it in before you do your regular morning routine.
See what happens! (Depending on your cardiovascular fitness, your regular routine, and your dawn phenomenon, you may not need to adjust your insulin as you jump in the morning, but watch for changes in the hour or two after you jump.)
If you do have a jump rope, use it. If you don’t have a jump rope, hold out your hand right now. Feel that? I just handed you an invisible rope!
Now everyone has a rope, visible or not.
Find yourself a nice space where jumping rope doesn’t involve breaking anything.
Ready??
Set??
GO!!
Light 20 minute jumprope workout:
Think about keeping your torso erect, standing tall, keeping your abdominals tight and staying light on your feet.
Minutes 1-4: march in place (or around the block and start your timer when you get back), keeping your hands and arms free and mobile
Minutes 5-8: invisible rope for all: jump rope without a rope, alternating feet as you jump, essentially shuffling your feet. No need to get your feet too far off the ground!
Minute 9: jump rope with alternating feet for 30-60 seconds.
Minutes 10-13: lay your rope on the ground, standing to one side of it the edge of your foot should be parallel with the rope. Now, hop from one side of the rope to the other from side to side.
Minute 14: jump rope with alternating feet just like in Minute 9.
Minute 15-17: alternate jumping lightly from your right to left foot just like in Minutes 5-8.
Minute 18: one solid minute of double foot jump roping!
Minutes 19-20: cool down by leaving your rope on the ground and marching in place or circling the block in the other direction.
When the 20 minutes are up, take a couple of minutes to stretch your calves, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Lift one arm up overhead and reach to the opposite wall to stretch your torso; change sides.
Good job!!
Moderate 20 minute jumprope workout:
Same thoughts as above.
Minutes 1-4: warm up as in the Light workout above.
Minutes 5-7: invisible rope for all: jump rope without a rope, alternating feet as you jump, essentially shuffling your feet. No need to get your feet too far off the ground!
Minute 8: pick up your rope and continue the same footwork technique as the previous minutes 5-7.
Minute 9: jump rope with both feet for 60 seconds.
Minutes 10-13: sidestep by jumping from the left foot to the right foot, tapping the left foot to the right after skipping over the rope. Repeat with the right foot.
Minute 14: jump rope with alternating feet for 60 seconds.
Minutes 15-17: put the rope down and jump lightly from left to right foot, swinging your invisible rope with your hands.
Minute 18: pick up your rope and jump with your right foot for 30 seconds and then with your left foot for 30 seconds.
Minutes 19-20: cool down and stretch as in the Light workout above.
Fantastic!!!
(Workouts designed by June Kahn and Lawrence Biscontini, Morning Cardio Workouts.)