10 Minute Jump Rope Cardio Workout... (success!!!)

Okay, so the first workout was a fail because that girl was way too good. This one by SparkPeople was more my style. And, it reminded me that I am not horrific at jump roping. So, yay.

This workout is--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY0lZTWlBAg

And, in case you think I can't jump rope, here's a short 15 second clip of me jump roping in the garage. It's not great video (webcam) and my husband pulls up and opens the garage on me at the end... lol. But, proof that I can still do it at age 38. Not that you were doubting. ;)

Did I like this workout? Yes. I did. If you can jump rope, you will like it. You know I am all about numbers. My heart rate average was 144 with a high of 167. Rock on. However, the "active" part of the 10 minute workout is really only 8 of the 10 minutes. The rest is cool down and stretch. I actually turned the heart rate monitor off at 9 minutes when my heart fell out of the "zone" on my Polar.

What I Liked:

• It was short, but almost too short. Had it been 10 minutes of active workout and then the cool down, I would have liked it better. 
• In the breaks between intervals, you do a little exercise so your heart rate doesn't dip too much. I loved that.
• Jumping really gets the heart rate up quickly, so I felt it was very efficient if you are short on time. And, jumping rope is very total body--works the core keeping the rope in line, arms/shoulders, and legs. So, it's awesome.

Concerns:

• You need space. Big space. I have a two-car garage and was able to do it with one car removed.
• I think I need a nicer jump rope. I think I might prefer the "hard noodle" jump ropes of the olden PE days better. But, it worked well enough. Make sure your jump rope is the right length or you might hit the ceiling, garage door, laptop, car...
• It is lots of jumping, so not good if you have knee issues. And, if you can't jump rope, I am not sure this is something you should do. Though, you could modify and use handles instead of a rope. 

Recommend? Sure, if you have mad jump rope skillz. :)