Everybody Jump Jump! (Rope)

[dreiser]

I don't have the money to skate everyday in the rink and since I fell more times than I'd like to count trying to skate in a park I've decided to take up a very simple yet fun and cheap form of exercise I can do safely within the walls of my parents house, Michi's apartment, or pretty much anywhere each and every day. What is this easily transportable and affordable exercise that I can manage to not only stand but even enjoy?

Jump rope!

Yes, yes, that's right. Nic only likes forms of exercise that little kids enjoy. Skating and jumping rope. I also like riding bicycles but I don't really feel like doing that. Anyway, I've been jumping rope for around a week and a half for a minimum of one hour a day and a maximum of two and a half and I've lost two pounds thus far. So yeah... it's fucking working! And it's fun.

After work I wandered over to West County Mall and bought a pair of New Balance cross trainers, which are recommended since they have a significant amount of fore foot padding and a new jump rope. I was using one from my mom's school which is plastic and tends to fucking hurt when it hits the skin at high speeds. I've already logged my one hour for the day and I'll probably be jumping some more later tonight.

That's about it. I just wanted to share and pimp my new fun form of exercise that if you're like me and really despise the idea of a gym and people watching you work out because you're sort of ashamed of your body then... fucking jump rope, dude! It's way fun and it works. And to be nerdier here's a great website about the benefits of it:

http://www.jumpropeinstitute.com/

I really like the page on Hyperperformance Jumping and in particular the section on Sports Specific Training Jumps. Before I looked at that I wasn't aware there were different forms of jumping you could use in order to get a better work out. Or at least some more variety. Right now I'm only using basic techniques but hey, it's fun to know other stuff is out there.

Okay. Thus ends my jump rope pimping post!

Comments

[narcolepsy-slds.livejournal.com]

we call it rope skipping :)
which I like better because it reminds me of Skippy, the bush kangaroo.
I really liked it a lot, but of course I overdid it in the first week and injured both knees and ankles and was sort of crippled for a while. I used to do it because it was part of my plyometrics program.

[dreiser.livejournal.com]

I take a lot of breaks when I jump so I think that helps. I tend to jump for around five-eight minute straight then I take a break for a minute and I go back to it again. Skipping rope reminds me of skipping school. lol.

[narcolepsy-slds.livejournal.com]

that sounds a lot better than what I did: 30-45min high intensity training. and it really screwed up my knees which are my weak point anyway.
have fun doing it!

[vertige.livejournal.com]

My boyfriend is a former Swedish champion of double jump rope (or whatever it is called in English when you are four people using two long jump ropes at the same time). I think he should put it on his resume, but he says that it's not something for a guy to brag about.

Our soccer coach makes us jump lots of rope at indoor practices during winter. It's so exhausting! I can't believe you do it one or two hours a day. You are awesome!

[dreiser.livejournal.com]

Hey, it shows he's in a great shape, right? That's brag worthy. Again, I take tons of breaks. Don't even think I just jump straight for an hour or two. No way in hell! lol. I usually jump for thirty minutes taking a break for every five to eight minutes then I take a thirty minute break before going an other half an hour.

[vertige.livejournal.com]

I am glad you take breaks. Otherwise you would be a super human and might end up being taken away by scary scientists.

Oh, and your Madonna icon is wonderful!

[dreiser.livejournal.com]

Madonna is wonderful. Period. lol. I would love to be taken away by scary scientists. Be like... Dykonic Woman. Hee.

[ssot.livejournal.com]

I admire you!!!
I've been a member of two different National Teams (Swimming and Softball) and I jumped rope less than 30 minutes, I always felt an intense burning in my calves and complained about my knees (I did "inherit" really bad knees and a shoulder from competitive sports training).

Just don't forget to stretch before and after your program, especially your calves.
Before : mild stretch, not more than 10 seconds
After: It needs a longer period of time, about 20-30 seconds, stretching should be steady and constant.

Good luck :)

[dreiser.livejournal.com]

Me? You're on national teams and I'm huge and fat! lol. I admire people who have always been healthy and athletic and stay that way. I hate exercise but jumping rope I can stand somehow.

Thanks so much for the stretching advice. Actually, thank all you guys for the encouragement. You're super sweet and I totally appreciate it. Hopefully this new regimen will help with me getting skinnier. Eventually. In a decade or so. lol.

[ssot.livejournal.com]

Athletic? ... yes

healthy? ... after an arthroscopisis in my knee, with normalization of cartilage and partial meniscectomy....yes!! lol

As for the stretching advice...it's really nothing


Here is another one...maybe, you can get Michi to help you, it is better to do passive stretching (someone helps you stretch) than active (you do it yourself)!!

[sulkygeek.livejournal.com]

You are not huge and fat, you dork.

And ANYWAY, you are really active with the jump ropings and the skating, and let's not forget that you're a busy person with work and all that, so it's not like you're leading the sedentary potato couch lifestyle.

[sulkygeek.livejournal.com]

couch potato, not potato couch, right? For some reason, I always get that reversed and really, it's so obvious because "potato couch" would be a couch made of potato which...I mean, is not what I was intending at all. So I don't know why I make this mistake all the time.

[dreiser.livejournal.com]

Hehehe. You're so cute. I swear. I love potatoes so I think a potato couch would be the bomb. Particularly if it was edible and had salt on it and some melted cheese.