by Debby Dyess

Created on: June 05, 2009   Last Updated: June 14, 2009

Professionals in basketball, football, soccer, tennis and volleyball use it as part of their regular training routine. A 10-minute workout can produce more benefits for cardiovascular health than 30 minutes of jogging. It's inexpensive and is an exercise program that will adapt to any environment, any place, any time. Jumping rope isn't just for the schoolyard anymore.

Jumping rope, for those in top athletic shape, is a way to maintain peak physical performance. For the of us who fall a little bit short of that category, it is a building block - a way to get into better shape, ad improve our overall quality of health. It is relatively easy, compared to some of those exercise programs that I've tried, targets several muscle groups at one time and burns calories without some of the grunts and moans that can accompany just the thought of working out. Various jumping routines can keep it from becoming the 'same-old-same-old', and can fine-tune the exercise to specific areas of the body. The health benefits are many.

Calorie Burning

Jumping rope burns an amazing 170 calories per fifteen minutes (based on weight of 150 pounds). Not a huge time investment, those fifteen minutes per day add up fast - right at 1190 calories in a week. Shoot for 30 minutes just half of those days and you're suddenly looking at 1785 calories burned in a single week. Because this aerobic activity is low impact, there's none of the joint problems or safety issues associated with jogging. For an accurate look at what you'd burn in a fifteen minute workout (at your weight) visit http://www.dietbites.com/Pyramid-Diet/calories-burne d-jumping-rope.html. Adding different movements and more difficulty to a routine will burn even more of the dreaded fat away.

Cardiovascular

Running is an excellent cardio exercise, but it's not the only way to increase your heart rate to its optimum. And, while running is ranked number seven in cardio activities that also burn calories, jumping rope is ranked number one as 'high intensity cardio'. While the exercise itself is low-impact on the rest of the body, it puts your heart into 'pump fast' mode almost immediately. Every minute you jump, you increase your heart's endurance. You'll notice in just a few weeks that activities that once left you out of breath are easier.

Overall Workout

I've always thought of jumping rope as a legs-activity, but as far as exercise goes, it hits a much broader spectrum. Expect a workout in your abs,

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