In a year that was way too full of things we had to take seriously, jumping rope was not one of them. I love to jump rope. It makes me feel silly. It reminds me of carefree childhood days. And it’s a darn good way to exercise…and play at the same time.

It’s fitness made fun

If you take yourself too seriously, jump rope is not for you. However, it you don’t mind laughing out loud, whipping your shins when you miss a skip, and getting breathless from a good cardio workout, then grab a skipping rope.

You don’t need a gym. You don’t need expensive equipment. All you’ll need is a jump rope, a willingness to get outside your comfort zone, and the gumption to jump like you did when you were five years old.

Take the challenge

Fun (and fitness) are best when shared. So when my friend Maureen O’Keeffe proposed a month-long skipping rope challenge, before you could say strawberry shortcake, the gang was in. We started with an easy 100 jumps. On day two we hit 120 jumps. Each day the number of jumps increased by twenty (with two rest days each week). By day twenty-nine we were at 500 jumps….

We jumped alone. We jumped together. We encouraged one another with silly messages, sweat-filled pictures, and a commitment to finish what we started. On day thirty, we met for the final jump rope session: 600 consecutive jumps. It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t pretty, but we had a blast. Fitness can be fun. It does not always have to be serious.

If it’s been a while since you’ve jumped rope, give a try. You’ll laugh. You’ll sweat. You will feel like a kid again… and you’ll get in some serious exercise.

By the same author: Not your average torture chamber (Click the image below)