Travel can leave your body feeling stiff, tired, and out of rhythm. Before jumping back into intense training, try this quick, efficient jump rope HIIT workout to boost circulation, re-energize your body, and shake off post-travel fatigue.
Be sure to check out my post on the Best HIIT Shoes for Women to help prevent injury and receive the proper support.
High-Intensity Interval Training
HIIT training is a form of interval training. It is where the heart rate increases anywhere from 85-100% of your maximal heart rate for a certain period of time, with a recovery period where your heart rate decreases 20-30 beats from your heart rate during the working interval. There is a plethora of modalities that can be used for this type of training. It is not limited to just cardio-type training. For example, HIIT training can be executed with running, cycling, rowing, and body weight exercises. It can be done with strength exercises with lighter weights, jumping rope, boxing, sled training, hill sprinting, swimming, plyometric training, and even walking the dog! And this is not an exhaustive list of options for HIIT training! Keep reading for the many benefits of HIIT workouts.
Health Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training
Both aerobic capacity and strength can improve with this form of training. Also, this type of training does not require long bouts of exercise. On average, a HIIT workout is 30 minutes in length. This is because the athlete will not be able to push passed a certain amount of time with the same level of intensity that is needed to complete the workout. This type of workout is safe to do on your own. It is also very effective when translating over to sport specificity.
HIIT Jump Rope Workout
Watch this video where I break down these super simple jump rope intervals.
Start with 45 seconds of jump rope on the balls of your feet at your maximum effort. This is followed by a 25 second rest period. Repeat for 10 minutes. Don't skip those seconds of rest! Those short recovery periods are necessary to HIIT routines.
This fitness routine is fast, effective, and requires minimal space or equipment (you can even “ghost rope” if needed). Research shows that just one minute of high-intensity effort can deliver similar benefits to two minutes at moderate intensity. So this is a great way to get the most out of your time and definitely get your heart rate up. Jump roping with intense effort followed by periods of rest can benefit cardiovascular health by increasing the heart's efficiency in pumping blood and oxygen throughout the body. This routine is done with just a basic jump, but keep reading for how you could take this full-body workout to the next level.
Double-Unders
When I started at Cross Fit St. Augustine several years ago and jump roping was part of our routines, I thought it was so dumb. Why are we jump roping? We're adults! It's much harder than I remember, too! I certainly didn't like it and definitely had a terrible attitude. Then I saw people doing double unders and I thought, "Wow, that's especially dumb". I didn't care at all if I ever did one in my whole life.
What has really surprised me, however, is that with regular training and a lot of time, I not only can throw in some dubs but I actually enjoy the challenge of them too! It's taken me many years to get to a place where I can throw double-unders in... not every single time, but in a pattern that works for me!
Double-unders are not just a cardio workout, or a strength workout- they are also a BRAIN workout! This is the cognitive side of getting our brain and our body to work together, a process that takes time just like building strength. Jump rope is a really easy way to begin to learn that process.
While it's great to do fitness that is mindless, it's also important to do fitness that DOES make us think. It’s a wholistic approach that packs a big punch of positive impact. So, you can definitely increase the challenge of this jump rope routine by adding in some double-unders in addition to your regular bounce.
Weighted Jump Rope
If you're still looking for an additional challenge in your high intensity workouts, another variation is to perform this routine with a weighted jump rope. Weighted jump ropes like this one are typically between 1-6 pounds. Obviously, it will challenge the body even more to swing these heavier weights around with proper form, challenging the upper body and lower body alike. There is a learning curve to these weighted ropes, so give yourself plenty of time to warm up to them.
Before engaging in new exercises, seek guidance from your healthcare provider to determine what physical activity is safe and suitable for you. For bodyweight exercises, check out my post on the Benefits of Squats for Women.
