A 15-Minute Cardio Jump Rope Workout You Can Do Anywhere
When you're traveling, it can be really difficult to fit in workouts. You never know what you're going to get at a hotel gym, or what the running routes might be like in a new city. The one thing you can always rely on to take with you and get a great workout? A jump rope.
Jump ropes seem so simple, but they are actually one of the very best pieces of gym equipment you can own. They're insanely easy to pack in a bag—even when you're just traveling with a measly carry-on—or carry into a park or your back yard for a quick outdoor workout.
And they truly deliver on fitness benefits. Jumping rope for an hour burns, for most people, over 100 calories more than running at a 10-minute-per-mile pace. The motion requires you to engage your arms, particularly your shoulders, your back, quads, and even your abs. And, if you get a little creative and do some things beyond just jumping, you can hit even more muscles in your arms, legs, and core.
That's why Amanda Kloots, a former Broadway dancer and Radio City Rockette, created The Rope class, which she teaches at Studio B in New York City. "It really is a full-body workout," Kloots tells SELF. "A lot of times people will say, 'I only have 15 minutes to work out, what can I do?'" Her answer: jump rope.
We asked Kloots to put together an easy-yet-effective 15-minute jump rope workout for SELF readers. Below, she shows us exactly how to do it. "This is a workout you can do literally anywhere, you barely need any space," she says. As long as you have a jump rope, you can fit in some great cardio and bodyweight work with this simple routine.
- Jumping rope — 1 minute
- Jump rope out-and-ins — 1 minute
- Arms and abs squeeze — 1 minute
- Jump-overs — 1 minute
- Stability lunge — 1 minute
Do each move for 1 minute. Repeat the circuit 3 times for a total of 15 minutes.