Houston Gym

Fitness is Not a Destination it is a Way of Life

Get your body ready for action sports

October 11, 2013

Action sports may be more fun to think about than to actually do, especially if you’re not in shape to pull them off. But one basic exercise can help get your body ready, whether you intend to use your muscles and skills in summer or winter sports.

Elite action stars know the secret: Build your calves and core. Your calves give you ‘spring,’ whether you need it for amplitude in a half pipe or getting up a long climb in a bike peleton.

The best exercise to do it all is a jump rope. Start out small, with gentle jumps. If you’re not in shape, don’t even use a rope to start. Let your ankle, knee and hip joints get used to the motion of flexing as you softly jump on a carpeted surface. After a few weeks of training, introduce the rope, which will train your coordination and timing. Count the jumps you can do without missing, and try to increase them. Then go for time — jump for a minute, a minute and a half, two minutes.

Once you become practiced, you can also start working on agility. Jump only on one foot, then on the other. Try lifting one knee up high as you jump. Try speeding it up and make the rope go around twice while you’re still up in the air from your jump.

Keep working on drills to improve the agility and placement of your feet, which will be essential in nearly every sport. The jump rope will develop strength and power throughout your entire body, from shoulders to toes.

The more drills you can do with the jump rope, the better your conditioning will be.