With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting a lot of physical activities, people have had to look for other, less conventional ways to stay fit. One such activity that is gaining a lot of steam is jumping rope, which the newly-formed Philippine Jump Rope Association (PJRA) is endorsing all over the country.
The PJRA is headed by Noel Agra, a fitness buff who is already a certified jump coach. He said that the organization was created at the height of the health crisis and already has more than a hundred members all over the country. They are currently busy trying to spread information about this fitness activity, which they claim burns three times more calories than jogging or running.
“It’s for everybody. There’s no age limit. It’s for all skill levels. You can do it anytime, anywhere and it’s very affordable,” said Agra.
Jumping rope has done wonders for former University of San Carlos (USC) Baby Warrior, Niño Tiu, who had to find another way to get his cardiovascular exercises in after he found out he could no longer jog after his neighbors got infected with COVID-19.
“When I started my weight loss journey, I did a lot of jogging but I had to stop because some neighbors got infected with COVID-19. I switched to jumping rope and I noticed that I was sweating a lot. It felt like I was playing in a 40-minute basketball game. Even my shorts were soaked with sweat!” said Tiu.
“However, I didn’t feel as tired as when I was jogging and I enjoyed it a lot. It also helped speed up my weight loss. In a span of three months, I have already lost 45 pounds and it’s really a huge help especially during these times when we all need to lead a healthy lifestyle,” he added.
Another former USC Warrior, Carl Miko Santos, said jumping rope is a great cardio exercise because it’s not boring.
“It’s great because you can do it anytime, anywhere. It’s not a boring cardio compared to just running on a treadmill. You’ll enjoy what you’re doing and you’ll burn a lot of calories too,” Santos said. “You’ll also get to train yourself mentally especially if you’ll start practicing doing tricks since it requires a lot of focus.”
Agra added that jump rope enthusiasts or even other groups from all over the country are welcome to join the PJRA, which has already filed for membership with the International Jump Rope Union (IJRU) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
“Everybody is welcome. The PJRA wants to collaborate with everyone. We want to be inclusive,” Agra added.
The organization is lining up events to further bolster their advocacy. This includes online competitions as well as workshops involving foreign jump rope experts.
Agra said that he hopes that one day, jump rope will be included in popular multi-sport events such as the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and even the Olympics. (JNP)