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Did y’all see my article last week about the exercise tools we travel with in the RV? If so, you might remember jump ropes made the list. Since then, I’ve had conversations with readers that went along these lines:

Jump roping?! There’s no way these knees could handle a jump.

If I tried jump roping, there’d probably be a heart attack. Not mine, the wife’s. Out of shock.

The idea of traveling with a jump rope wasn’t well-received by many of our fellow RVers, but let’s put the kebosh on that right now. There are loads more uses for a jump rope besides just jumping. To show you what I’m talking about, I made this video:

 

James and I were remote camping in the Manti-La Sal National Forest when we filmed this. And by the way, if you want to camp somewhere in the mountains without seeing another soul for days, head here. It’s our get-away-from-people home away from home. There’s very little information about it online, which is why it’s stayed deserted. So don’t tell anyone how much we love it, let’s keep it our little secret, deal?

James Adinaro Fit RV Jump Rope Exercises Camping Nature

Our secret campsite in Manti-La Sal. I’d tell you where but then I’d have to make you jump rope for 5,000 minutes…

But back to jump-roping without jumping.

Not only are jump ropes cheap and pack down well in the RV, they can spice up an otherwise lackluster workout by adding in the “play” factor. Besides, you’re on a trip! It should be all about “playing”!

 

Here are the jump rope exercises you’ll see in the video.

Directions: Do 10 repetitions of each of these exercises. Repeat the circuit 3 times through for a full workout.

1. Swinging Squats: Turn the rope forward and back in your hands as you perform squats. Who said squats have to be boring?!?!

2. Monkey Dance: Stand with feet wide. Double up the rope and hold it in your hands overhead. Alternate lifting one knee and then the other. Each time a knee rises, drive the jump rope down to touch it.

3. Figure-8 Speedy Swings: Stand holding the handles of the rope with hands together. Keep hands together as you circle the rope to the right and then the left. Work on speed, and circling the rope as fast as you can. Allow your body to move along with the arms to increase your speed.

4. Pacman: Stand in a split stance (one foot in front of the other). Hold rope as if you were about to jump, with the rope behind you. Pull the rope overhead and simultaneously lift your front toe, but keep your heel down. Allow the rope to slide under your shoe and then snap your shoe down on it. That’s the little Pacman biting the rope, you see. Each time Pacman bites, bend your front knee to activate more leg muscles.

5. Military Press Calf Raises: Stand with feet hip width apart. Double up the rope and hold it taut horizontally at shoulder height. Raise up to your tippy toes while simultaneously raising the rope up to the ceiling. Go slow for more of a balance challenge.

So yeah it’s true! You can use a jump rope and not once do any sort of jump, pretty cool, right? Unless of course you like jumping, which I actually do. But just like choosing an RV, we all have different preferences and needs. You don’t want to jump? Then don’t! But you DO have to do something to stay fit. It’s the only way to age well. These non-jumping exercises are more options to add to your fit RVing lifestyle. Give them a try, and let me know what you think!