Jumping the rope - The Best Exercise to lose weight?

Jumping rope - Not only for kids

Remember those old days where you used to jump the rope for fun? Good times right. Jumping rope is not only a simple game, it is an extraordinary workout. So extraordinary that by the time you finish reading this you will be amazed. I can tell you from my own experience that jumping the rope is a very effective workout, so effective that you will not believe how fast you can lose weight, and at the same time you will get stronger and healthier. Jumping rope is one of the best exercises out there that will workout your whole body.

Is Jumping rope, the ultimate weight loss exercise?

You probably have heard of exercises like swimming and running. You probably thing that they are among the best exercises to lose weight. But there is one particular exercise that stands out from the rest, and that is jumping rope. Running can cause knee problems, especially if you are overweight, but that is not the case if you jump the rope. In contrast to running, jumping rope is unlikely to lead to knee damage since the impact of each jump or step is absorbed by both legs. Jumping rope also helps strengthen the arms and shoulders because of the motion used when you are jumping. Jumping rope is the cheapest fat burning exericse. It makes your legs stronger, your heart stronger and It tones your whole body! The fact is that boxers have been jumping the rope for a long time. No wonder why the are among the fittest people on earth. Boxing requieres the body to be in top shape

The benefits of jumping rope

Aside from being one of the most amazing exercises ever. Jumping the rope not only helps you lose weight quickly, it also helps you in a variety of ways and it can be done just about everywhere. Jumping rope optimizes cardiovascular conditioning thus making you have a lower resting rate, which means that you have a big, strong, healthy heart. Some studies suggest that jumping rope can burn up to 1000 calories per hour! that's huge amount of calories.It also makes your larger upper and lower body muscles look nice and lean and is not hard to learn. With the economic recession now, people are not willing to spend a lot of money in fitness products. The good thing is that jump ropes are very inexpensive. A decent jump rope can cost anywhere between $5 - $10 dollars and you can take it anywhere you go. Other great benefits include the improvisation of your agility, posture, balance, reflexes and coordination.

Sounds too good to be true

So you might be thinking that this sounds too good to be true, after all jumping rope tones your whole body, burns tons of calories, is inexpensive, can be done alone or in groups, greatly improves cardiovascular condition and more. All of that can be achieved with one single exercise. Well, if you think it is "too good". Let me bring you to the back from your dream. It is not. You are wrong if you think that jumping rope is an easy and effective exercise. It is effective, but is not easy. To get all the benefits from this great cardiovascular exercise it is necessary that you actually do it. The reason why I said this is because once you try it, you will probably want to quit doing. Jumping rope can be pretty intense. You could get tire in just minutes if you are trying it for the first time. It can also make you feel frustrated if you continuously keep missing. I challenge everyone here who is a first time jumper, to jump for at least 30 seconds without stopping.

How is it done?

There are very different ways to jump the rope. From the basic two foot jump to a more complicated one like Criss-cross. I think it's pretty easy self explanatory how to jump the rope. But there are mistakes that you should avoid at all cost. People make the mistake of bending their knees because it is easier for them, but it is less beneficial, incorrect, and wil mess up your timing.
Some of the styles include (acording to wkipedia ) the following:
"Basic jump
This is where both feet are slightly apart and jump at the same time over the rope. Beginners should master this technique first before moving onto more advanced techniques.
Alternate foot jump (speed step)
This style consists of using alternate feet to jump off the ground. This technique can be used to effectively double the number of skips per minute as compared to the above technique.
Criss-cross
This method is similar to the basic jump with the only difference being that while jumping, the left hand goes to the right part of the body and vice versa for the right hand.
Double under
To perform a double under, the participant needs to jump up a bit higher than usual while swinging the rope twice under his feet. It is possible to have the rope swing three times under the feet (triple under). In fact, in competitive jump rope, triples, quadruples ("quads"), and quintuples ("quins") are not uncommon.
Combination jumps
There are many more difficult jump roping tricks that combine two or more of these techniques to make a single trick. These combinations can also be used in Chinese Wheel, Double Dutch, and Long Rope.
Toad
The toad is a complicated trick where the jumper performs the "Cross" manoeuvre with their leg intersecting the arms.
Other
Many other variations are possible, including: "skier", a side-to-side jump keeping the feet together; "bell", a front-and-back jump keeping the feet together; "scissors", a jump putting one foot forward and the other back, then switching back-and-forth; "jumping jack", a jump putting the feet apart and then together; and "can-can" a jump with one leg up and bent, followed by a jump with both feet on ground, followed by a jump kicking the foot out."

What kind of jump rope is the best

There's no best jump rope. Start out with any rope. Have your rope light-weight and/or adjustable. Once you get better, try some of the other types of ropes such as speed jump ropes. They weight more and can go faster than a normal ropes but be careful if you do something wrong it will hurt you. A speed rope swung very fast can sting. Start slowly and built your speed up.

Tips and recommendations

• Choose an open area to jump rope and be aware of who is around you to avoid whipping someone.
• Practice a lot
• Start out slow and built your speed up
• Try to do some tricks to keep you from getting bored
• Jump the rope using different styles and techniques

Things I wish you know

As you can see jumping rope is a really good exercise. In my experience, It takes time and effort to master some of the techniques above. When I first started jumping, I just did it for like thirty minutes the first day. It felt awkward because I could only jump for like twelve seconds straight. It was frustrating. The next day I felt so sore, as if the day before I had done a lot of strength training, specially in my arms, shoulders and calves but I continued to do it and now I can jump a solid two minutes. I was also able to lose sixteen pounds in one month by jumping the rope along with a healthy diet. My heart got stronger, my resting heart rate now is lower than before. Sometimes I find jumping rope more enjoyable than running, although running is also pretty adictive.
In conclusion, I highly recommend you to include jumping rope as part of your fitness program.

Check the video below!

The video below contains some of the different techniques. It can give you a pretty good idea on how many types of styles are out there.

Jump Rope Techniques

 

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5 Things Your Parents Got Wrong About Food

1. No snacking! You'll ruin your appetite!

Actually, snacking can be healthy, as long as you choose wisely.

"It keeps blood sugar stable" and keeps you from getting too hungry between meals, says Debra Waterhouse, RD, author of Outsmarting the Mother-Daughter Food Trap.

"My general rule is going no longer than four hours without eating something, whether a meal or a snack," says dietitian Constance Brown-Riggs, RD.

Update: Try cutting back slightly on meals so you can have one or two daily snacks between 100 and 200 calories. Good choices include nuts, fruit, yogurt, and vegetables with dip.

2. Finish everything on your plate.

"It's fine to leave a little food," Brown-Riggs says. "Get in tune with your body to know when you've had enough."

Update: As you're eating, notice how you're feeling. Are you full? Are you eating just because there is still food on your plate? Be particularly careful when you're eating out -- the food is appealing, the plates are huge, and you may want to eat it all because you paid for it. "If there are large portions, ask for half now and have them box the other half," Brown-Riggs says.

3. Don't eat before exercising -- you'll get a cramp.

You won't want to go running immediately after dinner, but eating a little bit 30 to 60 minutes before exercising can help you maximize your workout.

You'll get "a quick boost of energy that helps you optimize the exercise session," says Natalie Digate Muth, MD, RD, author of "Eat Your Vegetables!" and Other Mistakes Parents Make: Redefining How to Raise Healthy Eaters.

Update: Choose high-carbohydrate, low-fat, low-fiber snacks with moderate amounts of protein in the 100- to 300-calorie range, such as a glass of chocolate milk, a slice of toast with peanut butter, or a granola bar. Fruit is also fine, although it won't have much protein (add a few nuts for that).

4. Hurry up!

Did your parents rush your breakfast so you were on time for school? If you still eat in a hurry, you might miss your body's cues that you're full.

"It takes 20 minutes for the brain to register that you feel full," Brown-Riggs says. "If you eat too quickly, you can scarf down a lot of food in a 20-minute period, and then you feel stuffed."

Update: Slow down. Take mini-breaks by putting your food and utensils down between bites, Brown-Riggs says.

5. You deserve dessert today!

"We never want to use food as a reward; it sends the wrong message," Brown-Riggs says. "The wires get crossed, and we no longer eat because we're hungry; we eat because we were good and we deserve something."

Update: It's great to reward yourself, but not with food. How about a movie, a manicure, or time with friends? "Soon, you'll realize that you shouldn't just eat because you think you deserve something," Brown-Riggs says.

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Lose Weight Fast: How to Do It Safely

Sick of crash diets and fad diets? Follow these healthy tips.

Working on weight loss? Then you probably want results -- fast.

Let me save you some time: skip the fad diets. Their results don't last. And you have healthier options you can start on -- today!

You can safely lose 3 or more pounds a week at home with a healthy diet and lots of exercise, says weight loss counselor Katherine Tallmadge, RD.

How to Lose Weight Fast

If you burn 500 more calories than you eat every day for a week, you should lose about 1-2 pounds.

If you want to lose weight faster, you'll need to eat less and exercise more.

For instance, if you take in 1,050 to 1,200 calories a day, and exercise for one hour per day, you could lose 3-5 pounds in the first week, or more if you weigh more than 250 pounds. It's very important not to cut calories any further -- that's dangerous.

Limiting salt and starches may also mean losing more weight at first -- but that's mostly fluids, not fat.

"When you reduce sodium and cut starches, you reduce fluids and fluid retention, which can result in up to 5 pounds of fluid loss when you get started," says Michael Dansinger, MD, of NBC's The Biggest Loser show.

Diets for Fast Weight Loss

Dansinger recommends eating a diet that minimizes starches, added sugars, and animal fat from meat and dairy foods. For rapid weight loss, he recommends focusing  on fruits, veggies, egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry breasts, fish, shellfish, nonfat dairy foods, and 95% lean meat.

Here are more tips from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet :

• Eat vegetables to help you feel full.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Get tempting foods out of your home.
• Stay busy -- you don't want to eat just because you're bored.
• Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table. No grazing in front of the 'fridge.
• Don't skip meals.

Keeping a food journal -- writing down everything you eat -- can also help you stay on track.

"Even if you write it down on a napkin and end up throwing it away, the act of writing it down is about being accountable to yourself and is a very effective tool for weight loss," says Bonnie Taub Dix, MA, RD, author of Read It Before You Eat It .

Besides jotting down what you ate, and when, you might also want to note how you were feeling right before you ate it. Were you angry, sad, or bored? We often focus so much on foods and calories, but our emotions are a huge part of our eating habits.

If you see a persistent pattern in your emotional eating, please consider talking to a counselor about it. They can be a big help in finding other ways to handle your feelings.

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