Personal trainer and FitPerez correspondent Mike Donavanik knows exercise like the back of his hand. So who better to ask for fitness tips then him?
This week one of our readers, Shaynna, wants to know what the benefits of jumping rope are, asking:
“Is jumping rope really better for you than running? I see guys at the gym doing it, but I can├óΓé¼Γäót do it for very long myself. Everyone seems to say it├óΓé¼Γäós great for you, but I don├óΓé¼Γäót see why. Is it?”
According to Mike:
“When it comes down to it, no exercise is better than another. Every exercise has its benefits and they all require hard work and consistency in order to see improvement or results. However, with that being said, the impact of running places a lot of stress on your knees, hips and back. So, if you have an injury or pre-existing condition to either of those areas, jumping rope may be a better option. If you├óΓé¼Γäóre having trouble jumping rope for an extended period of time, the only way to get better is to be consistent and practice. Jumping rope requires a lot of total-body coordination and endurance, so the more you do it, the easier it will become. To sum things up, jumping rope does have its benefits ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ total body conditioning, increased coordination, low impact ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ but so does running, cycling, swimming and resistance training.”
Want more answers to the fitness questions on your mind? Shoot us an email or tweet @MikeDonavanik for more tips!