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

[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.