Jump Rope Vs. Running: Which is a Better Workout?

Intro

Hey what’s happening?!!…

This is Isai Rodriguez… host of the DadSplanation Podcast where I cater to the Professional Working Man, 40 and above, who’s looking to make positive changes to his health, lose weight, and become stronger overall through simple lifestyle changes.

I’m here to share inspiration, tips and proven lessons that I’ve personally learned and lived through in my 40+ years on this beautiful blue planet.

So today we’ll be talking about the 4 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Skip Your Physical This Year and then we’ll move on to our 2nd segment with Jump Rope Vs. Running: Which is a Better Workout?…

And before we get into that, if you’d like to continue the conversation, then get on over to podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip to get on the VIP Insider’s Community where I share more entertaining “behind-the-scenes” stories, tips, and hacks that’ll keep you feeling younger each and every day!

That’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip…

Again, that’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip… be in the know… starting right now

Also, don’t forget to rate me on Apple Podcasts… OR wherever it is you’re listening to this Episode… AND leave me a NICE… FAT… JUICY… 5-star-review and some absolutely beautiful words of why you love the show so much! It really helps me get the word out and it’s honestly the one place where your vote truly matters!

And now let’s move into our first segment… Healthy Conversations…

Healthy Conversations:   4 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Skip Your Physical This Year

With everything going on last year with COVID, social distancing, Tele-Commuting, etc… I have to admit that I didn’t make it to my physical in 2020 but I’m determined to make it happen this year.

And even though hospitals quickly became COVID battlegrounds, it’s no wonder that people are (understandably) a bit scared at the thought of visiting a doctor.

But now more than ever, we need to make a real effort to avoid getting sick and part of that equation is visiting your doctor for your annual physical.

You see… The annual physical is all about addressing health concerns and reducing health risks.

And even though you feel completely fine, you have to realize that a visit to your doctor goes way beyond the physical.

It’s having that in-depth discussion about risk factors to your health… those are just as important as bloodwork and other preventive services.

For a lot of people, one or more years may have passed since their last physical and I guarantee that a lot has changed, especially in the setting of a pandemic.

This visit is a way to intervene early and avoid larger health problems from getting worse.

So here are 4 reasons you shouldn’t skip your physical this year.

Physicals are even more important during the pandemic

Why?… Well… People who have chronic conditions like heart disease or diabetes… first off, they’re at a higher risk for severe COVID so if you’re not being screened or monitored for your chronic diseases, then you’re at an even higher risk of getting sicker because you have an uncontrolled chronic disease.

And even if you don’t have a chronic disease and feel relatively fine, you never know what could be happening internally.

Or I should say… You don’t know what’s going on if you don’t have an annual physical.

For instance, fatigue doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re sleep-deprived. It could be signs of anemia. It could be signs of thyroid issues. But until we get those checked and you talk to your doctor, you’ll never know what’s the cause of that specific symptom.

A return to normal might be far away

So let’s just call this one out… If you’re putting off your physical until things return to normal, then you might be waiting longer than you think.

Because, yeah there are vaccines out there now but look how long it took us to get to where we are right now…

The reality is that it’s not going to bring us back to a “Pre-COVID” way of life any time soon.

So it’s important not to delay your preventive care any longer than you have already.

It’s important to not avoid seeking medical attention for ongoing concerns while a vaccine is on the horizon and currently being administered out to the public…

Again, it may be a good amount of time before things return to that sense of normal that many of us are hoping to get to.

So waiting for that new normal could be much longer than anticipated and can end up amplifying health risks that go unaddressed.

Doctors offices are taking the necessary precautions

Even though it can be a scary thought, you shouldn’t be afraid of catching COVID at the doctor’s office.

Early in the pandemic, it was a good idea to defer some care, as we dealt with the increasing cases of an illness we had no idea how it acted or how to handle it.

We’ve learned a tremendous amount since then… We now have protocols in place to safely care for patients while also managing COVID in a way that prevents transmission between patients.

It’s not perfect… nothing is… but they’re in place… and they work, for the most part, when followed.

So for example, many precautions are taken before a patient even enters the office.

When you make your appointment, you’re asked a series of 20 questions to figure out if you have any of the symptoms.

And then if you have any symptoms, we automatically proceed through a telemedicine appointment—a video virtual appointment.

That’s to keep you safe, to keep the doctor’s safe, and to keep everyone in the office safe.

We’re able to do a lot of diagnosing through telemedicine before a patient even sets foot into the office.

And if a patient does have COVID-19 and needs to be seen by a doctor, they go to a room separate from other patients.

If you make it through the initial screening, you’re stopped again at the door and again you’re asked another series of questions as well as getting your temperature taken.

All of the doctors are all wearing PPE, the rooms are being cleaned between every single visit and wiped down with bleach and everything just to make sure that the rooms are sanitized properly.

There’s a lot being done!

You can get a physical without leaving your home

Although it sounds strange, I kinda remember a time when doctors made house calls…

And that’s technically what I’m talking about here except back in the day, doctor’s would physically come to your house.

These days with the Internet and Zoom and other video messaging systems, it’s possible to get your physical exam through a video call.

And some insurances will even cover a virtual physical but definitely check in with your provider before making an appointment because many don’t.

Most doctors can assess a patient pretty well just by simply looking at them.

So if a patient is breathing funny you know that something is wrong, you can see that on a computer screen. If the patient is in distress, you can see it on the screen.

Obviously they can’t hear their lungs, hear their heart, or feel their stomach and stuff, but they can actually assess the patient just by the way they’re talking, by the way they look, by the way they’re formulating their thoughts.

So at the end of the day, these telemedicine sessions are in fact a reality…

So with those 4 reasons in your face…

Don’t miss your physical this year!

And with that said… Let’s move on to our SECOND segment… “Mighty Man”

Mighty Man:   Jump Rope Vs. Running: Which One Will Give You a Better Workout?

So… Jumping rope vs Running… Which one is better than the other for getting in great shape?

Welp… let’s just get right into it because if you’ve been brain-washed by decades of cardio-loving experts, then you might be surprised to find out that running is a huge waste of your time.

Not only that, but you might even be increasing your risk of injury compared to jumping rope…

Now of course, this is true unless you’re training for a specific race or a marathon of sorts.

And before I get ahead of myself, let’s talk about a couple of the common questions that come up in the whole jumping rope vs running discussions.

First and foremost… People always wonder if jumping rope is even a good cardio workout.

And believe it or not, it absolutely is… so if you’ve jumped rope for just a few minutes, you’ll understand how challenging it is.

Just a few minutes of quality rope jumping (or as my son calls it, “skipping rope”)…

Just a few minutes will have you huffing and puffing because it really engages more muscle than what running does.

Think about that… your arms, your core, and your legs.

And I know what you’re thinking… You’re probably thinking that running works those muscles also.

Yyyes but not in the same way as does rope jumping.

And now since muscle requires oxygen (ideally) to produce energy, the more muscle involved in an activity, the more oxygen you need to bring into your body and so that’s why you start breathing more and more heavily.

From a time perspective, jumping rope is more effective (you know?) it basically takes less time for your body to get to this heavy breathing stage when your jumping rope vs running to achieve the same benefits.

And because jumping rope requires greater technique, it incorporates more muscles than running which also leads to the burning of more calories in less time.

So because of all this, the total time you spend jumping rope is far less than the total time in a continuous running workout. This gives you a more intense workout and less stress on your body from impact.

And this is the biggest problem with running… it’s all the repetitive shock involved, the impact.

You can think of this like the Mileage on a car… so here’s what I mean…

Have you ever driven a 10 or 15 year old car with low mileage on it?… let’s say a 15 year old car with 15 thousand miles on it… have you?… How smooth is that ride?

Impressively smooth, right?!!

Now have you ever driven a similar car… maybe a 5 year old car with (I don’t know) 2 to 3 hundred thousand miles on it… How smooth is that ride?

Not as smooth as the old car with low mileage on it, right?

That’s how the activity of running takes a toll on your body. Wear and tear.

It’s a high impact activity, plus most runners don’t even run with good form which is one of the reasons why the yearly incidence rate for running injuries varies between 37 and 56%.

About 50 to 75% of all running injuries are overuse injuries due to the constant repetition of the same movement, over and over and over again.

And some of the things associated with running injuries include previous injury, lack of running experience, running to compete, and excessive weekly running distance.

It’s enough to say that if you’re running on a regular basis (and this can be on a treadmill or outdoors, it doesn’t matter)…

You will eventually develop some kind of nagging injury. Unless (that is) if you know how to run properly – both in terms of form and workout protocol because the reality is that most people have no idea.

For instance, lots of runners heel strike when running. No good.

This is not good because heel striking is like slamming on the breaks each time your feet hits the ground and the resulting force (which can usually be about 3x your body weight)…

This force is mostly transmitted right through the passive structures of your body (the joints and bones in your body) instead of active muscles.

Now a mid-foot or forefoot strike (which naturally happens when you run barefoot), is where the body is overtop the foot and absorbing force through the muscles (not the joints)… This is much safer and more effective for energy transfer while running and also reduces your risk of injury.

And now, Jumping rope typically prevents these impacts that you’d normally be subject to with heel strike running.

It forces you to land on the toes and use the untapped power in the calves and the combined power of the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core.

And if you don’t believe me… I’d love you to try jumping rope by landing on your heels.

No actually… I’m kidding… that’s a terrible idea but if you were to do it, I can guarantee it’ll be the most painful jump rope session you’ve ever had.

But that’s the kind of impact your body goes through when running.

So comparing the rope to running, much of the impact of jumping rope is taken through the leg muscles. The erect posture needed and long spine needed forces your abs to hold your core nice and tight AND to work in perfect coordination with the back muscles to form the same kind of internal pressure as a weight belt. Think about that. All of this supports your torso and transfers energy more efficiently through your body.

The other reason why jumping rope is better than running for burning fat and getting in great shape is because it’s barely possible to do with poor form.

The rope is your teacher and you’ll continue to make mistakes (ie. tripping on the rope, having the rope lash your arm as your timing starts to get squirrely)… The rope’ll guide you until you learn how to do it properly.

In other words, if you have poor jump rope technique, you can’t jump rope. Period. You’ll be forced (naturally) to develop the right form.

Now unfortunately, if you have poor running technique (and again almost ALL people do), you can still go out and pound the pavement which is a great little recipe for disaster.

And what about Interval Training and Leg Strength? Is running or jumping rope better?

Well… first off… Interval training involves repeated rounds of high and low intensity exercises that vary in duration.

One of the challenges with running intervals is that… quickly changing from jogging to sprinting can pose a potential injury to your hip flexors, your quads, hamstrings, and other muscles…

And too many people are not properly trained for higher intensity running or those who haven’t warmed up properly.

On top of that, doing short interval sprints of like 5-20 seconds on the treadmill is almost impossible because of the time it takes for the treadmill to change from a slow speed to its maximum speed.

With jumping rope, none of that is an issue…

You can quickly and easily change speeds by increasing the speed of the rope at the snap of a finger without worrying about getting injured.

When it comes to strengthening your legs, especially your calves, jumping rope is incredible. Think about it: you’re landing on the ball of your foot each time it hits the floor. This is exactly how you activate and develop your calves.

Think of gymnasts who are trained from almost birth to walk, run, and bounce on the balls of their feet. Their calves and legs have beautiful shape and strength.

Plus, unlike running, with jumping rope you can repeatedly land on the same leg to achieve an isolated leg strengthening workout if you like. There are endless possibilities.

And so by now, there should be no surprise that jumping rope is the BETTER “all around” exercise option compared to running.

Again… It’s safer… More time efficient… It forces good posture and core activation… Recruits almost all of your muscles… and it leads to greater lower body strength improvements

And even if you’re a runner who’s training for a 5k race or a marathon, jumping rope every so often as a cross training activity will be a huge benefit for you.

So I’ve put together FOUR 5-Minute Jump Rope Workouts That’ll help “Whip you into Shape”

And these are simply to help you get started with jumping rope… you can start with these and explore from there once you get comfortable with them.

Each one only takes 5 minutes and trust me… you’ll be UBER thankful that they’re ONLY 5 minutes by the time you’re done. 🙂

They’re set up in interval training fashion combining sets of high and low intensity exercises to give you maximum benefits in less time.

For each of these workouts, start with some light skipping 2-3 minutes as you warm up and once you’re feeling warm, you can jump right into any one of these workouts.

Workout #1: Beginner
Work interval: 5 seconds @ 100%
Recovery interval: 25 seconds @ 65% (nice and easy)
Repeat 10 times = 5 minutes

Workout #2: Intermediate
Work interval: 10 seconds @ 100%
Recovery interval: 20 seconds @ 65% (nice and easy)
Repeat 10 times = 5 minutes

Workout #3: Advanced
Work interval: 20 seconds @ 100%
Recovery interval: 10 seconds @ 65% (nice and easy)
Repeat 10 times = 5 minutes

Notice how each of these workouts are 30 second blocks repeated 10 times. The only difference was the amount of work and recovery time.

So the easier workout (or the beginner) is a shorter hard work interval followed by a longer Recovery Interval… whereas the harder workout (or the Advanced) had a longer Work interval and a shorter Recovery interval… but they all add up to 5 minute workouts.

Here’s a helpful tip: So to easily make an interval workout more challenging, all you have to do is to reduce your recovery. You don’t even need to touch the work interval. Trust me… You’ll feel the difference right away.

Workout #4: Leg Sculpter (also Advanced)
Right leg interval #1: 10 seconds hopping on right leg @ 65% effort
Left leg interval #1: 10 seconds hopping on left leg @ 65% effort
Recovery interval #1: 20 seconds on hopping on both legs @ 65% effort
Right leg interval #2: 10 seconds hopping on right leg @ 100% effort
Left leg interval #2: 10 seconds hopping on left leg @ 100% effort
Recovery interval #2: 20 seconds on hopping on both legs @ 100% effort
Repeat this entire sequence 3 times for a total of 4 minutes.

And that’s basically it right there… easy peasy!

So let’s talk about some common questions so you get the most out of these workouts

What size rope do I need?

Great question… and before you begin using any rope, what you want to do is measure it to your height. When you stand on the middle of the rope, the handles should reach your armpits. Wrap any excess rope around your hands if necessary.

Here’s another good question…

What’s the best jump rope to use?

So when choosing a good quality jump rope, there’s number of things to consider.

First, choose a rope that has light weight handles, otherwise your arms will burn out in seconds.

Second, the rope must turn smooth and fast, and have a good, comfortable grip that doesn’t slip when you sweat.

And Third, consider the quality of the rope itself. So Nylon coating is much tougher and lasts a hell of a lot longer than vinyl coatings. You can also use a beaded or plastic “speed” rope because they tend to whip around faster, making for a more intense workout.

The last question is the best because we talked about how jumping rope forces you to use the right form but the question is…

What is the Right Jump Roping Form?

Simple… first of all… You have to gradually prepare your lower body for the impact of jumping, so start off on a waxed wooden floor or a rubber floor.

Hold the rope with your hands at about hip height and your elbows slightly bent and keep your upper arms close to your sides.

Your chest should be out and your shoulders back and down. This is what’s known in the fitness world as “Proud Chest”.

With all of this in place, make your jumps small and land on the balls of your feet.

And that’s it… Now you’re all set and ready to jump rope like a pro… but obviously… JUST LIKE A PRO… you’ll need to practice practice practice.

Practice makes perfect… or “as perfect” as perfect can be.

Closing

That’s it you guys… That’s my show for today!

I hope you found some valuable information here and if nothing else, I hope I’ve entertained you for a few minutes and was able to bring a little man-ly sunshine to your day.

Thanks for taking some time out of your day to listen to me… it’s very much appreciated!

On next week’s episode, we’ll be going over How to Become a Morning Person so you definitely don’t want to miss out on that!

And if you’d like to continue the conversation with me, then get on over to podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip to get on the VIP Insider’s community where I share even more “raw-behind-the-scenes” stories, tips, and hacks that’ll keep you feeling younger and younger… each and every day!

That’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip…

Again, that’s podcast.dadsplanation.com/vip… be in the know… starting right now!

Also, don’t forget to rate me on Apple Podcasts… OR wherever it is you’re listening to this Episode… AND leave me a NICE… FAT… JUICY… 5-star-review and some absolutely beautiful words of why you love the show so much!

It really helps me get the word out and it’s honestly the one place where your vote truly matters!

Until our next chat… Take care!