Jumping rope is awesome for your heart and helps you get better at moving. But to really get the most out of it and reach your fitness goals, you need to eat the right stuff. Good food works with your jump rope workouts to give you the energy and things your body needs to do well and get stronger. Let’s see how to eat to get the best results!

Food Before Jumping: Getting Ready to Go

Good Carbs for Energy:

• Eat complex carbs like wholemeal bread, fruits, and veggies. These give you energy that lasts, so you don’t get tired quickly while you’re jumping.
• Examples: Oatmeal with berries, a banana with peanut butter, or wholemeal toast with avocado.

When to Eat:

• Have your meal or snack about 1 to 2 hours before you jump. This gives your body time to digest the food and use the energy.
• Don’t eat big meals right before you exercise.

Drink Up!

• Make sure you drink lots of water before you start jumping.
• Being hydrated helps you perform better and stops you from getting dehydrated.

Food During Jumping: Keeping Your Energy Up

If you’re jumping rope for a long time (more than 60 minutes), eating something small can help you keep going.

• Keep Drinking: Keep sipping water while you’re jumping.
• Electrolytes: If it’s really hot, you might want to have a drink with electrolytes to replace the minerals you lose when you sweat.
• Quick Energy (if you need it): If you’re jumping for a super long time, a little bit of fast energy can help you not feel so tired. Examples: Banana, energy bar, dried fruit.

Food After Jumping: Getting Stronger and Refueling

Protein for Muscles:

• Protein helps your muscles recover and feel less sore.
• It also helps your muscles grow and get stronger.

Good Carbs to Fill You Up Again:

Eat carbs to get your energy stores back up.

• It’s best to eat protein and carbs together after you jump.
• Examples: A bowl with quinoa and tofu, yogurt with fruit and granola, or lentil and potato soup.

Healthy Fats for Your Body:

• Eat healthy fats from things like avocados, nuts, and seeds.
• Fats help your body make hormones and use nutrients, and they also help you feel full.

When to Eat:

• Try to eat within 30 to 60 minutes after you finish jumping.
• This is the best time for your muscles to recover and for your energy to get back up.

Eating Well for the Long Run

• Focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, plant-based proteins, and whole grains. These foods have important nutrients and fibre.  Try to eat less processed foods, sugary drinks, and too many unhealthy fats.
• Drink lots of water throughout the day, not just when you exercise.
• Listen to your body and pay attention to how different foods make you feel.
• Change your diet based on what your body needs and what you like.
• Getting good results takes time and doing healthy things regularly. Focus on making small, healthy changes to your diet that you can stick with. Don’t try crazy diets that promise quick results.

Do any of these ideas sound interesting to you? Have you noticed that what you eat makes a difference when you jump rope? We’d love to know!