There are some misconceptions about jump rope workout. Of the common Misconceptions is that it leads to serious lung and heart problems and prolapsed uterine in women and that it may cause them bleeding in a date other than the menstrual cycle date, all these beliefs and concepts are incorrect.

Jump rope sport is considered by many fitness specialists as the first full fitness sport after swimming. Jump rope works on all body muscles, especially back muscles, abdomen and the lower part of the body. It also strengthens the ligaments of the feet and knees as well as improving the performance of the heart and respiratory system.

Rope jump workout should be avoided by the women during the menstrual cycle so as not to increase it, as well as during months of pregnancy so as not to cause abortion. It also should be avoided by people who are suffering from some chronic diseases such as heart, asthma and erosion of joints or rough knees.

Sports and fitness specialists suggest the following tips for those who wish to practice some jump rope, so that it would be fun and safe sport:

– Start by warming up for three to five minutes by walking fast or jogging in the same place.

– Finish by cooling for three to five minutes by walking slowly to rest the body until the pulse return to normal level.

– Use healthy sneakers and wear clothes that will not hinder the rotation of the rope.

– During exercise, hold the rope firmly and consistently.

– Let your elbows be close to your body, and your shoulders should be relaxed.

– Bend your knees slightly and use your forearms and wrists to move the rope in an arc passes over the head and under the feet.

– keep your head up, your back straight and do not bend forward during the jump exercise.

– It is not necessary in this type of sport to jump very high because that could adversely affect the joints of the feet and knees.

– For women, it is preferable to wear a bra to maintain the stability of the chest during the jump sport.

So, jump rope sport is just like any other sport, it has its benefits and its harms. Jump rope is one of the simplest, easiest and most enjoyable sports and the least expensive. It can be exercised at home or in the open air by both sexes and all ages.

Are you interested in the Pilates workout chair but you can’t make your mind up yet? Then I have just the article for you! I will share with you the pros and the cons of using a Pilates chair in order to help you decide if it’s the Pilates equipment for you or not. Let’s have a look at them now:

Pros of using a Pilates chair

Here is why you might say YES to a Pilates chair

Tones the entire body and offers a light cardio workout

A Pilates exercise chair is excellent for toning the entire body and it also gives the user a light cardio workout. It also stretches and lengthens the muscles while strengthening the core (the muscles of your lower back, abs and hip flexors).

Get a professional Pilates workout

The Pilates chair gives a workout that can be compared to a professional Pilates workout if you use the Pilates chair correctly.

Relatively inexpensive

The chair won’t cost you an arm and a leg and is much less expensive that a Pilates machine – making it a great choice for when you are on a budget. The only Pilates equipment that is even less expensive is the Pilates band.

Portable

You can pack the Pilates exercise chair up and take it wherever you go – making it one of the most portable Pilates equipments yet (along with a Pilates band and ring).

Convenient

You can use the Pilates workout chair to exercise in the comfort of your own home, office or wherever you want and you don’t even have to step a foot out of the house to use it.

Cons of using a Pilates chair

Here is why you might say NO to a Pilates chair

Can be uncomfortable

If you use the Pilates exercise chair with the wrong way, it can be quite uncomfortable. So make sure to read or watch the instruction booklet/DVD to make sure that you use it the right way.

Pilates beginner

IF you are a Pilates beginner, you are better off getting a proper Pilates machine or by taking a few classes first before using the Pilates chair as it can be quite advanced.

Not best for weight loss

If your main aim is to lose weight, the Pilates exercise chair might not be for you. The Pilates workout chair might help you lose a little bit of weight, but you are more likely to gain a few pounds (because muscle weighs more than fat). You will however have more muscle definition and you will get leaner.

Need storage space

If you are short on space, you should rather use smaller Pilates equipment like the ring or the band, because although the Pilates chair is not too big, it still needs space.

I’ve been taking muay thai kickboxing for about 3 months

now, twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays. It has been

an amazing experience. The thai kickboxing workouts are

intense, make no mistake about it. Even though I am in

a beginners class, the sweat pours like a hot summer rain!

We start each kickboxing workout by lining up in the gym

facing our Kru, or teacher. He bows to us, we bow to him,

and he welcomes us with a few words. We then start with

skipping rope.

As crazy as this may sound, I found jumping rope to be

incredibly challenging. I started with 25 extra pounds

around my waist, and perhaps my co-ordination was a little

off. The rope is covered in hard plastic, plus I’m barefoot

and the rope would smack my toes and it really stings!

I would watch the more experienced students jump rope and

see if I could keep up. Sometimes I could go 15-20 jumps

in a row before I would hit my toes or head with the rope.

But after a month I got the hang of it. We jump rope in

the thai kickboxing workouts until we start to sweat, maybe

4 to 6 minutes.

Then comes the tortuous part, the cardio conditioning.

Every kickboxing class has a different routine. Sometimes

we do burpees, sometimes hillclimbers, always lots of

squats, jumping squats, pushups and the like. For the old

timers it’s like a real intense session of calesthetics.

We generally train technique for 20 to 25 minutes. And

like the cardio, kickboxing technique training varies from

class to class. Sometimes you work your kicks onto the pads

that your partners hold. Sometimes its punching

combinations. We work routines like front kick, 3 punch

combo then right thai kick. It always is different. I

really enjoy the variety, it keeps the training from ever

getting stale.

But we always finish with pain…abdominal pain. You lie

on the floor on your back, and raise your legs up off the

ground until they are straight up in the air. Your partner

stands at your head, roughly with his or her feet near your

shoulders, facing your feet. Your partner pushes on your

feet, forcing your legs back down to the floor. You raise

your legs back straight up, the partner pushes them back

down…this goes on for 3 straight minutes. Your abs are

burning after 1, screaming after 2, and generally are

nearing failure before the session ends. Then you get to

switch and torture your partner!

I honestly thought I saw an abdominal muscle on my body

the other day in the mirror. It’s impossible, I still have

at least 10 pounds of blubber to lose, but I feel fantastic!

My energy levels are off the charts, I’m sleeping so much

better at night and I love it. I highly recommend

muay thai kickboxing workouts for anyone serious about

getting into top shape!

There are some days when you feel like you could workout forever, and then there are those days where you’re tired after 15 minutes. The days where you have to will yourself to finish are frustrating, but your body may be telling you something. Here are some of the most common reasons why your workout feels harder than it should on some days.

You’re Not Drinking Enough

If you’re struggling to get through your workout, you may not be drinking enough fluid. Exercise performance starts to suffer when you’ve lost as little as 2% of your body water. When that happens, you’ll start to feel tired and less motivated to exercise. When you reach a level of 5% dehydration, you can really feel the effects. Don’t count on thirst to tell you when you need to drink. That usually comes after you’ve already lost too much fluid. Keep a water bottle handy during a workout, and sip between 5 and 10 ounces every 15 minutes while you’re exercising, and drink 15-20 ounces before starting to workout. If you’re planning a session that lasts longer than an hour, sip a sports drink that contains electrolytes.

You’re Not Minding Your Nutrition

If you’re feeling drained during an intense workout, you may be glycogen depleted. This is more likely to happen if you do a high-intensity workout first thing in the morning. During high-intensity workouts, your body uses primarily glycogen as a fuel source, and if you work out intensely, your glycogen stores may hit rock bottom after 1 to 2 hours. Not only will you feel fatigued, but you’ll have to slow down. You’re less likely to feel overly tired if you’re work out a moderate intensity since your body primarily burns fat at a lower intensity.

If you do a vigorous workout, have a snack with about 30 to 40 grams of carbs before exercising. If you’re in a rush a piece of fruit or energy bar will work. If you plan on working out for more than an hour, bring along a sports drink.

You’re Overtraining

If you’re regularly feeling fatigued during exercise or having trouble getting through your usual workout and you’re clocking a lot of hours at the gym, you may be overtraining. Take a few days off to let your body rest and recover. Other signs of overtraining including an increased resting heart rate, lack of appetite, weight loss, muscle soreness, difficulty recovering from exercise, increased susceptibility to colds and flu, changes in sleep patterns and loss of enthusiasm for working out. If you have these symptoms, you may need a longer period of rest.

You Have an Undiagnosed Medical Problem

A number of medical problems including diabetes and an underactive thyroid can make a workout feel harder. One of the more common causes, particularly among females, is iron deficiency anemia. If fatigue is a persistent problem, see your doctor.

You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

Your workout may seem harder than usual because you’re not getting enough sleep. Make it your goal to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. When you don’t sleep enough, exercise will feel more challenging, and your risk of catching colds and flu bugs at the gym because your resistance to infection will be lower.

You’re Bored

Sometimes boredom can make exercise seem harder because your nervous system is rebelling against doing the same workout over and over again. Don’t let tedium cause you to lose your enthusiasm and turn exercise into a drudgery. Try a new routine, and get a new burst of enthusiasm. It’ll also help you break out of a plateau.

The concept of indoor rowing machines has been around since the 1900’s but old designs were more like a torture device and is not an accurate representative of actual rowing. Development of modern fitness rowing machines was established in the 1980’s. While the machine had been designed primarily as a training tool for watercraft rowing, it is gaining popularity as a favorite workout tool not just for rowers but also for other athletes and common individuals who want to get a full body exercise. Nowadays, these machines are portable, studier, and simulate rowing on a real boat more accurately.

Like any other fitness machine there are advantages and disadvantages in using rowing machines.

ADVANTAGES

1. Full body workouts. Rowing provides a full body workout. Besides being an excellent cardiovascular exercise, working out on rowing machines, stresses major muscles in the body anaerobically. It workouts arms, chest, back, and legs.
2. Very low impact workouts. Unlike treadmills, these machines provide very low impact workouts. You are not putting much stress on your ankles, knees, and joints. Although your legs are in full motion, your legs do not strike hard surfaces so it is more comfortable.
3. Intense calorie-burning exercise. You can burn up to eight hundred calories per hour by working out on the rowing machine, this is machine for losing weight.
4. Less expensive. It is less expensive compared to other fitness equipment such as treadmills and elliptical machines.

DISADVANTAGES

1. Lower Back Injury. This machine puts the toll on your lower back so this is not an ideal machine for people with back and spine problems. In using the machine, proper technique should be used.
2. Hard to assemble. Putting the pieces together can be frustrating for some people.

Rajon Rondo isn’t the biggest guy in the NBA. He stands 6’1 which is taller than average in the real world but makes him small by NBA standards. Here’s the thing though; he found out how to improve vertical jumping through little known jumping exercises.

In an interview given in February 2009 Rajon Rondo admitted that he had a fairly simple vertical jump training program that focused on some simple core principles. One of these principles was that you had to do the right exercises if you were looking at improving vertical jump height on an ongoing basis. Here are three of them:

Hill Sprints. If you want to know how to improve vertical jumping as quick as possible then this should definitely be one of your “jumping exercises”!

Fairly obviously you need to find a hill first. The steeper the hill is the better your workout will be. You want to sprint uphill for about 65 yards. The important thing to remember is that you are trying to sprint as fast as you can as you want to improve explosive power and quickness not stamina and endurance. Try and do 7 hill sprints per workout session.

Abs exercises. When you want to jump higher, it’s important that you don’t neglect your core, as this is where a lot of explosive power and your balance come from. Ideally you should be doing sit-ups and crunches everyday when you wake up. They are even more effective if you can get a dumbbell weight and hold it to your chest while working out.

You are about to expose the formula of the most effective way to train your muscles to get quicker and faster which many successful athletes has discovered. I found out these exercises much to my dedication to improve my skill in my tennis sport. I ran into these speed training workouts when I was browsing the internet and became interested of its formula and success stories. I have been searching for a better way to improve my stamina and speed because I became frustrated with my old exercise routines which only guarantee to keep me fit. This time I tried these new routines which can be perform in the house without the need of gym equipments or assistance from coach. This is what I like most with these workouts since I don’t have to be in the tennis court or go the gym. The routines are manageable and easy to follow. It only took me 30 minutes or less to warm up my muscle and immediately the result is overwhelming and I could feel your muscles tightened up.

Many of athletes discovered the ways to grow stronger, but only a few has discovered ways to become faster. What I’m about to share to you are the wonders of plyometric workout to work with your muscles for speed and quickness like never before and how to prevent inaccurate training for speed which only results to waste of time and effort. Athletes are normally frustrated in their attempts to get quicker and they oftentimes make the excuse that speed is a skill that we are inborn with and cannot be transformed. This notion is wrong because I myself have proven that I could get quicker and faster with proper speed training and dedication to my work.

Truth is, muscles are capable to gain more speed and quickness as long as you have proper speed training. Muscles are not just for strength or to grow stronger, but it is for speed and flexibility too. I’m not just talking about getting faster in running, but in all your skills. Fast muscle gives you the opportunity to stand out in your sports like soccer, football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, golf and just about other sports where speed is necessary. After few days of performing these plyometric routines, I was amazed of the difference I feel in my performance.

These are the formula which successful athletes has discovered and learned that improved their careers. A lot of recreational players and athletes have transformed their speed and quickness in their sports as a result of this proper speed training.

You head out the door with coffee in hand, ready for your workout program at the gym. You woke up an hour and a half earlier than usual to make sure you have enough time for your routine. Today it is cardio – the best exercise for burning calories. You still have not decided if you are going to use the treadmill or rowing machine. Probably the treadmill, since it never fails to help break a good sweat.

After your 35-minute treadmill jog, you stretch and think about the calories you have burned. The machine said 317. You know even if it’s true, it is still short of 500, which is the daily deficit you need to lose one solid pound of fat a week.

You arrive back at home, eat a quick breakfast and head off to work. Besides being a fruitful day, you hope it is one where you make progress towards a slimmer waistline.

Technically, if you can stick to this routine at least four days a week, you are doing great. It is one thing not to be sedentary, but it is another entirely if you can establish a routine where you are regularly doing productive exercise every week.

There are many reasons to be physically active. One surely at the forefront in your list of priorities is fat loss and weight management. Without a doubt, exercise is a great way to burn fat while providing a host of other benefits to your body and health. That being said, there is one crucial element to keep in mind if the primary reason you are exercising is weight loss…

Energy in must NOT exceed energy out.

No matter how hard you are pushing yourself in the gym, you are not going to lose weight if you have not established a caloric deficit. The best way to tell when energy in is greater than energy out is when you are physically active and still not making progress, or even potentially gaining weight despite your efforts. It is not an uncommon situation, given it’s a natural tendency to increase your caloric consumption the more you exercise. After all, you are using the body’s valuable stores of energy. So it’s expected you will see an increase in appetite to replenish those stores.

If you are to be successful at managing your weight, never forget the importance of monitoring your nutritional intake alongside maintaining your exercise routine. Only when you are expending more energy in the form of calories than you are taking in, will you be able to make significant progress.

Prior to getting too comfortable with your treadmill routine, know that using this machine should not be a robot-like activity. To reduce your likelihood of injury–and the chance that body will plateau–learn these five do’s and don’t of walking/running on the treadmill.

DON’T run on autopilot

Doing the same workout on the treadmill machine day after day can be a mindless task that your body will adjust to that. This can be less effective for the muscles and you will burn less calorie consumption as a result. This also causes your brain to drift and be easily distracted by the television or people around you.

What to Do: Be present during your workout

Concentrate on your breathing, stride, and form. It’s also a good idea to alter your workout every week approximately. First, raise the length of your workout for a week. For the pursuing week, try increasing the intensity using inclines. Stick to up by incorporating high-intensity interval training workouts with running and walking the next week. Changing some misconception periodically will keep you focused and give your body a new challenge.

DON’T stomp your feet

Landing hard on your feet or working flat-footed is bad for both feet and legs, which can cause muscle strain. Stomping your foot down may also lead you to lean backward, straining your back muscles and tossing off your balance.

What to Do: pay attention to each step

Land on the ball of the foot or midfoot-not the heel or whole foot at one time. Stay as upright as you can while running or walking as you normally would in the center of the treadmill.

DON’T make your stride too long

Over-striding and stretching your hip and legs out too much causes your body weight to land in front, which is terrible for your legs joints and uses more energy. This may also cause you to lose form, producing in a less-efficient workout.

What to Do: Walk and run as naturally as you do outside

When running, scarcely lift your feet off the ground and try to keep a speed of about 15 steps for each and every 10 seconds. While walking, use natural steps.

DON’T hunch

Inclined or hunching too much forward means your body is working harder to keep its balance, which can lead to harm such as lower back pain. Poor posture may even obstruct your body’s capability to take sufficient oxygen while exercising.

What to Do: Maintain Position

Maintain your posture upright, strong. Your chin should be parallel to the floor and head and hips in line with your spine. If you find you’re having difficulty in maintaining good posture, try slowing your speed.

DON’T wear the wrong shoes

Zumba shoes may be cute, nevertheless they are totally different from shoes designed specifically for walking or running. Using kicks with a high arch or any support on the treadmill can stress your joints and quickly lead to harm.

What to Do: choose function over fashion

Look for athletic shoes made for running and walking. A shoe with extra cushioning in the soles really aids to protect foot bones and heels. Use these shoes just for your treadmill exercises, and they’ll last long keeping your feet comfortable.

A good way to know your fitness level is by taking a fitness test that will test your physical endurance, body strength and help you understand the basic relationship between body strength and fitness. One of the best known methods for it is Kraus-Weber Test (K-W Test).

Components of Kraus-Weber Test (K-W Test).

A K-W test known as Minimum Muscular Fitness test has six different components, and this test is capable of measuring various muscle groups in term of their physical strength and inherent flexibility. The higher the ratings are; greater will be your fitness level.

This very test of fitness was firstly used to investigate about the progress of the treatment given for back pain problems. More than eighty percent of people who take this test failed to pass it in the first attempt.

The first test of the six K-W Tests series is used to evaluate general fitness of a person. In this test one has to keep both of the feet on the ground; do sit ups while keeping both hands folded on the back and lying body on the ground.

The second part of K-W Test series is similar to first in posture but only change is that in this test knees of person remain bent and the ankles are as close to buttocks as possible; while doing sit ups..

The third part of K-W Test series requires the person to lie flat on the back and keeps hands behind the neck and legs remain straight and lifted up, for about ten seconds in a stretch.

The fourth parts of K-V Test series person lie on hisher stomach; and while keeping the feet firm to the ground one need to lift the head and shoulders along with the chest off the ground for about ten seconds. Test number five’s posture is similar as fourth one; only addition is that one needs to lift knees straight off the ground for ten seconds.

Finally, in last test i.e. number six; one need to stand straight barefoot while both of the feet must be placed together firmly to the ground; then, while keeping the knees straight one needs to bend slowly so as to touch the ground with the fingertips. One needs to hold on in same posture for about three seconds. This test is really useful to gauze one’s fitness level and to understand what needs to be done to improve fitness level of a person who takes this test.