“Not Just Child's Play: Jumping rope is a high-benefit cardio exercise - Times Union” plus 1 more |
| Not Just Child's Play: Jumping rope is a high-benefit cardio exercise - Times Union Posted: 29 Aug 2010 06:56 AM PDT Jumping rope is: Child's play? The fastest 10-minute cardio exercise available? One component of an all-around intensive workout? A profitable fund-raiser for the American Heart Association? It depends on whom you talk to, but it's really all of the above -- and then some. This simple-to-learn, relatively low-impact, do anywhere, heart-pumping activity is exercise's step-child, often overlooked and taken for granted because, well, it's been around forever -- since circa 1600 B.C. when the Egyptians jumped over vines. Perhaps it's time to give jumping rope a turn? "Jumping rope is a wonderful exercise," says Jason Ackerman, owner of CrossFit in Albany, "It increases your heart rate, but also improves balance and coordination. It might look like an easy exercise, but it isn't. It takes a lot of practice, but when you get really good at it, it makes your heart skyrocket!" CrossFit gyms throughout the country use it as part of an intense cardio workout that includes various exercises repeated in sequence. They use a double-under technique: two revolutions per jump. Ackerman says that all ages are jumping rope at CrossFit, from the nimblest teens through aging grandmothers. "The older women might take it a bit slower, but they maintain a steady rate and are really moving." According to the website, ifitandhealthy.com, a 150-pound person burns about 11 calories a minute when jumping rope at a leisurely rate of 120 revolutions per minute, but crank up those revolutions, and you'll hit 20 calories a minute. It is a total body workout that engages every muscle, in addition to developing speed, quickness, agility, balance, coordination, bone density, aerobic conditioning -- and trimming your butt, tummy and waist. And then there's the cost. Says Paul Scharnott, general manager, at LA Boxing Albany in Loudonville: "It is the least expensive form of cardio vascular equipment and takes up little room. It raises the heart rate rapidly, it's not too strenuous, it does have impact, but if done correctly, it's good impact, and it can be done by all ages, at every level of fitness." Rebecca Donnelly of Waterford, an instructor at LA Boxing, says that boxers have always incorporated jumping rope into their workout routines, and it's time for women to follow their lead. "Jumping rope is a great supplement to any cardio routine, and if you are bored with walking or jogging, give it a try," she says. "It gets the heart rate up, as well as helps your hand/eye coordination." Donnelly does admit that it is not an easy exercise to perform, but promises: "As soon as you practice, it really does get easier. When I first started jumping, I remember thinking, 'It used to be so easy to do when I was little!'" She uses jumping as a two-to-three-minute warm-up or incorporates it into interval training, where she'll jump for two to four minutes, do something else, come back to jumping, and then repeat this pattern until her workout is done. "I think anything you can do to mix up your workout is wonderful," she says. "Women tend to do the same exercise over and over, and we have to challenge ourselves to incorporate different things. Our bodies get used to doing the same thing, and then we wonder why we are not seeing any real change." And the fact that young children can easily learn how to jump over a rope is one reason the American Heart Association began its Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser in 1978. Another reason is to instill the love of exercise early in a child's life. Ramona Englebrecht, who runs the AHA program in the Capital District, says jumping rope is important to health because it offers both cardio benefits while improving muscular endurance, balance and coordination. "In our fast-paced world, it is the ideal workout because you can work your entire body -- including your heart -- and burn substantial calories in 30 minutes. It is also inexpensive, convenient and fun." Last year, 43 schools in Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga and Rensselaer counties participated in Jump Rope for Heart, raising $98,146. MASTER JUMPER Ask any expert about jumping rope and eventually the name Buddy Lee is mentioned. We caught up with Lee by phone, when he was on a part business/part vacation trip in Europe. A former Olympic wrestler, Lee is on a one-man mission to encourage people of all ages, shapes and fitness levels to give jumping a try. Through his website, www.BuddyLee JumpRopes.com, he sells all manner of equipment, from special ropes in all price points and rubberized mats, through books and DVDs instructing proper techniques with workout plans. Lee also runs the Jump Rope Institute, which offers workshops throughout North America to coaches, athletes, personal trainers and fitness enthusiasts, providing basic jump rope knowledge and techniques. Lee says jumping rope is the perfect exercise for women. "So many women get home from work in the dark, and they don't want to walk or run because they don't feel safe," he says. "But they certainly can take out a jump rope and use it in a room, the basement or garage." But is it for everyone? "Absolutely," Lee says. "If you can walk, you can jump. Most people think jumping rope is high-impact, but when performed correctly, it definitely is not." Throughout the conversation, Lee emphasizes the word correct. "You have to unlearn the way you jumped rope as a kid," he says. "Jumping is a skill, and to do it correctly, without injury, is something you learn." And a last thought from the American Heart Association: If you cannot jump rope the traditional way, take to the water, and gently jump up and down. The water resistance combined with the jumping action really gets your heart beating. Ready to Jump? Buddy Lee offers these tips for beginners Getting started First, buy yourself a good pair of cross-trainers, with good forefront padding to protect the balls of the feet. Stand on a surface with equal give and rebound, such as a wooden or rubberized floor. Grip the rope handles with a firm but not too tight grip. Place elbows at a 90-degree angle. Look straight ahead, keeping your body upright. To turn the rope, begin making small circles with your wrist, no more than a dime or quarter in diameter. Jump only high enough to clear the rope, not more than 3/4 of an inch off the surface. To jump, bend your knees slightly before pushing off. The bend is minimal and it will look as if your knees are straight. Land on the balls of your feet, so that you are ready to explode for each subsequent jump. The workout As with any exercise, the best advice is to start slowly, ideally with a trainer or a video. If jumping is your only cardiovascular exercise, start with a few rotations, trying for a minute and building up to 10 minutes five days a week. You should aim for 120 revolutions per minute. According to Lee, 10 minutes of jumping at 120 revolutions per minute equals 30 minutes of jogging. From there the sky's the limit, as you learn different foot and arm patterns, and increase your speed. The rope Of course, jumping rope is nothing without the rope, and we don't mean the cotton clotheslines many used as kids. Jump ropes have gone high tech. LA Fitness uses weighted ones, made with synthetic components. CrossFit uses Rogue ropes, engineered for speed and conditioning, with a cable rope that is easily replaced. Lee's ropes have swivel bearing systems that eliminate friction, drag, tangling and allow smooth turning action in all directions. The length of the rope is also important, so be sure it can be adjusted. For beginners, stand on the rope's center; handle tips should reach your shoulders. Ditto for intermediate jumpers, but handle tips should reach the upper chest for advanced jumpers. When jumping, if the rope smacks the surface, it is too long. Shorter ropes allow the rope to turn faster. Technique The basic bounce is the first jump to learn: both feet leave the ground at the same time. The second technique is the alternate footstep, in which you alternate feet, similar to jogging in place. Once mastered separately, they can be combined into one routine. "And then have some fun," Lee says. "Put on your favorite music, and before you know it, you're jumping away." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Does Yoga Provide Enough of a Cardio Workout? - HealthCentral.com Posted: 27 Aug 2010 12:49 PM PDT While, doing my research for this blog I have come across many heated debates on this topic. Since more and more people are practicing and enjoying yoga as their sole source of exercise, they wonder if yoga is enough to keep them fit. They wonder if they should augment their practice with cardiovascular training. Many in the yoga community have long believed that yoga is enough to keep you fit and others, mainly in the medical and fitness community, have argued that yoga does not work the heart enough.
Yoga is a wonderful adjunct to many other sports training as it keep the muscles supple, prevents injury, improves breath control, and focuses the mind. But, is it enough in and of itself to address all aspects of fitness including cardio respiratory fitness? Until recently, few scientists had considered whether yoga could improve many different aspects of fitness. Recent studies, though preliminary, show that yoga also improves strength, aerobic capacity, and lung function. Yoga Journal published an article entitled "Is Yoga Enough to Keep You Fit"? The article recounts this story. John Schumacher, 52-year-old yoga teacher from the D.C. area was convinced that yoga was enough to keep you fit and was tired of hearing otherwise. He set out to prove his point. He signed up for physiological testing. The results, as he expected, found Schumacher near the top of his age group for a variety of fitness tests, including maximum heart and exercise recovery rates. Yoga Journal's testing of three yogis also yielded impressive results. One of the first studies done in the United States that examines the relationship between yoga and fitness, researchers at the University of California at Davis recently tested the muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, cardio respiratory fitness, body composition, and lung function of 10 college students before and after eight weeks of yoga training. Each week, the students attended four sessions that included 10 minutes of pranayama, 15 minutes of warm-up exercises, 50 minutes of asanas, and 10 minutes of meditation. After eight weeks, the students' muscular strength had increased by as much as 31 percent, muscular endurance by 57 percent, flexibility by as much as 188 percent, and VO2max by 7 percent-a very respectable increase, given the brevity of the experiment.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Add Images to any RSS Feed To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment