There's a great video making the
rounds online. A group of Italian senior women go jump roping again just like
in their childhood. Check it out:
It's so cute and inspiring! (and there's a beautiful Fiat
Punto in the background!) First Michelle Obama ,
and now these golden girls, I just had to take up jump rope myself! So I went
out to the store and got my own rope.
It's important to remember that
around 80% of osteoporosis cases are in post-menopausal women, so if you don't
want your fate to be sealed, you have to do regular strength-training
exercises. Ththe following page has a great list of at-home exercises
for preventing osteo, and jump rope is on the list.
Jumping rope doesn't have to be
monotonous, since you can mix in different styles. Here are the other benefits
of jump rope:
- Burning calories: 15 – 20 minutes of jump rope are enough to erase the calories from a chocolate bar (though that's not an excuse to indulge in junk food!)
- Heart health: Jump rope definitely gets your heart rate up, I can attest to that! Just like all aerobic exercises, jump rope can reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Low impact: If you have good form like Michelle's, jump rope doesn't put much impact on the joints, even less than jogging.
- Upper body strength: The jump rope motion improves muscle strength in the upper body. Everyone thinks of hips first when it comes to osteo, but it can also affect the spine and other bones too!
These fun Italianas show us we're
never too old to stay active and enjoy life. Jump rope can definitely seem
boring at first, but make sure you have good form and change up styles. Having
some music in the background can also set the rhythm for your jumping. Stay
young!
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