Rope Skipping: The Best Workout For Weight Loss

The real struggle has started now as many people have put on weight due to the lockdown situation. It's not that people are not conscious about the increasing weight but actually, they are not able to burn the added calories. 

People are complaining that their diet is still the same but their weight is increasing day-by-day.

Many are super irritated with the "Work From Home" situation because of the two main reasons. Firstly, the expectation is to contribute more hours because of the facility to work from home. And secondly, it started feeling like we are under the prison. The routine became so boring and depressing.

"Work-Eat-Sleep-Repeat."

At least the commute helped feel the surrounding, nature, and social gatherings. It was helping to keep up the mental health as well as somehow it was helping to burn some calories.

The fitness tracking apps were boosting & cheering every day that You can improve yourself step-by-step.

But unfortunately, Mr. Corona has grown us like ginger from all sides. Tire manufacturing companies are knocking the doors for natural rubber collection.

The silly weighing machine started screaming every day in front of my family like am holding it by the neck and it will die soon.

Please, don't laugh as the situation was getting worse every day. My best jeans resigned two months back & said I can't fit you anymore, better look for options. 

So, before it could get worse, finally thought of buying a home fitness kit from amazon but I knew what will happen to it. I bought an abs rocker machine in 2008 which helped me to show off my abs till I finished graduation. But now it's serving as a long sofa with a bean bag on top of it. Sometimes it gets a chance to hang out with my innerwear though it never felt privileged.

I will tell you why I am writing this article today as I felt really bad when I was breathing heavily while climbing up the stairs around two months back. My fitness was not that horrible before the COVID-19 pandemic. Common 96 kg is not a joke, have almost added another 10 kg in this lockdown. 

Before lockdown, I was going to the nearby gym to meet the normal BMI chart and now I am not closer to it and it seems like BMI number and my weight numbers are at opposite poles. At least I was at the equator before the pandemic.

I knew I won't be able to manage a routine with a home fitness kit. Too lazy but I got an idea when I saw a couple of kids were doing rope skipping in the basement area.

I loved jumping on the bed during my childhood and I thought this one is the simplest exercise I could do and just 15 min is good enough to manage every day from my work from home schedule.

So finally I bought the skipping rope from amazon though it took another 10 days to reach me due to the lockdown. Believe me, I have started seeing the improvement in my health, breathing pattern, Stamina, climbing ease, and overall fitness.

Got so amazed by rope skipping that I thought of writing about its benefits to share with all of you. Actually, it improves overall fitness and you can sweat out within 15 minutes. Although running is as enjoyable as you pick up the rhythm of it but skipping can do the same wonder if you do it for 10-15 minutes every day.

The best part is you will have a variety of jumping techniques to challenge yourself every time you master one technique. Running is a bit monotonous sometimes if you compare it with skipping.

There are many variations of skipping which you can try out at home. Most popular ones are listed below:

1. Basic jump: Rope skipping is always good to start with the basic jump technique using both the feet together. Basic jump is effortless if you practice continuous jumping regularly.                     
2. Alternate Step Jump: As you master the basic jump technique, you must have developed a kind of rhythm. And this is the time when you can try the next-level of skipping technique called alternate step jump. Alternate step jump is all about skipping with one leg on the ground and one lifted at a time.                                  
3. Single Foot Jump: Now, time is to test the coordination and balance of your body. Single foot jump is not that easy so, master the first two levels then try this level. Start with less number of jumps and then keep on increasing its intensity as per your strength and balance.                                                                          
4. High Knee Jump: It's an advanced version of alternate jump where you lift your knees more up than before and it really helps in burning more calories. The high knee jump is similar to the normal running. High knee jump is considered the most intense form of skipping increasing your heart rate.                                      
5. Boxer Step Jump: Boxers use this technique most often for jumping as they have to continuously shift their body weight from one leg to another. With this technique, you can jump for a longer time which is much required in boxing.                                             
6. Fun Jump: To pump up & to give more strength to every muscle in the leg, this technique is used by every athlete. Its super fun trying this technique as you move your legs like dance moves while jumping. Its a rhythmic mixture of double jump, criss-cross leg jump, alternate jump while skipping.                                           
7. Criss-Cross Jump: This is a pro jump technique when you are done with other techniques as it requires mastery in previous techniques. The most attractive skipping technique which inspires people mostly to buy jump ropes. Criss-Cross Jump technique is very efficient for upper body toning.                                                  
8. Backward Jumping: Backward jumping is another skill level that you can flaunt about. Rare and requires a lot of focus and technique understanding. All the above techniques can be done by backward jumping which will improve your coordination and focus too.                                                                                                 

There are many ways to do skipping and you will find several skippers communities over youtube and the internet. They use to post a lot of videos and challenges to inspire  and motivate others.




Skipping can play a vital role in improving your full body fitness and can help in burning fat for weight loss. Health benefits of skipping are:








1. Heart Health: Skipping is one of the best exercises to keep up heart health. Rope skipping increases heart-pumping and maintains blood flow in every part of the body. Skipping burns fat and improves breathing & stamina of the body.                       
2. Weight Loss: Rope Skipping is the best exercise for weight loss. The body burns fat and releases energy and carbon dioxide. The more you breathe, the more you lose weight. Skipping requires a lot of breathing and is as equal as 45 minutes of running if you do it for 15 minutes every day.              
3. Tones Muscle: Due to the simplicity of the skipping, it's more popular than any other exercise. Rope skipping puts every muscle at work and helps in toning every muscle of your body. Skipping helps to burns the fat in your body and brings strength to those muscles by building muscles gradually.                                                                                         
4. Improves balance: Skipping improves coordination between body parts and that helps in creating a kind of balance. Balance is much required after a certain age when you feel a lot of changes happening in your body. People start realising that they are not able to move quickly or do a physical task faster. Skipping makes you think quickly, makes your reflexes to perform quickly, and creates a kind of coordination which no other exercise can do best. Rope skipping is best to align your mind, body, and soul.                                                                                     
5. Bone strength: Maintaining bone strength is one of the biggest challenges as one reaches 35 years of age. Skipping benefits in bone-strengthening and reduces the chances of osteoporosis by stimulating bone formation helping to maintain bone density.                                                                                                                                                                                          
6. Improves Skin Health: It's obvious that every cell of our body requires proper blood flow to nourish itself. Skipping helps in circulating blood to every part of the body to provide nutrients and remove toxins which helps in improving skin health and brings a kind of glow to the skin. The health benefits of skipping are endless.                                          Click here to buy                                    
7. Builds Stamina: As skipping is the simplest exercise one can do anywhere and at any time. Rope Skipping brings a lot of stamina if you practice every day. It will improve breathing habit and you won't ever feel shortness of breath. Your workout time will increase gradually and you will feel the strength from inside.                                                                                        
8. Focus: Rope skipping requires a lot of mental focus. As you have to jump without seeing down by feelin g the rope movement and the height you are jumping at, the timing at which you have to jump in a synchronised way. All these require coordination which the only brain can do best. Skipping builds a sense of alertness & focus and trust of mind on the body.                                                                                   
9. Strength to Legs: Skipping improves the strength of legs to another level. Sometimes leg shake happens when people start lifting more than a certain weight if they are not regular to the gym or into weight lifting. Skipping helps in strengthening every muscle of the leg and you will realise the strength in your legs.                                                                                                    
10. Full body workout: Skipping is the simplest and best way to do the full-body workout. As you jump, every body part goes in a rhythmic motion and skipping requires easy efforts from every part of the body. Thatswhy skipping exercise is best to tone every muscle of the body and keep you fit & fresh always.

Click on image to buy Skipping Rope

I really wanted to share this article because many of us are still scared to go to the gym due to coronavirus infection. Workout in the gym requires a lot of breathing which you cannot avoid. Rope skipping benefits are so amazing that I couldn't resist sharing with all of you.

I am already on my way to the weight loss goal by just spending as little as Two dollars.  And I had pizza at the end of the week without any increase in weight.

People over 100 kg weight should start slowly as skipping may affect your knees due to excess weight. People with knee injuries should avoid rope skipping and any other jumping exercise in general. 

Click here to buy this skipping rope

Make sure you are wearing a pair of shoes to avoid injuries and keep your ankles aligned. Skipping rope should be of good quality and good weight. Skipping rope quality plays important role so choose it wisely.

It's so much fun doing this exercise due to the variations it has. It will feel like you are playing an online game where you will find the next level every time. You will start feeling the craving for another level and another technique. Mastering skipping techniques are one of the great ways to show off your skills and stamina. 

Skipping can be the best option to do warm-up exercises in the gym before you start hitting your regular workout. 

How To Train Your Brain To Be Happy Always

You must have noticed that people doing creative jobs are happier than people in any other profile. It's not that they don't have work pressure but within that pressure, they live their moments by enjoying its journey.

The pleasure of creating something unique is more than what they get paid for. Creating a graphic illustration or a piece of a musical note or photography alone in the mountains gives eternal satisfaction which nobody can steal.

Creating a design range and presenting it for the big day is not an easy task. It takes continuous hours of work, sleepless nights, and many more sacrifices. 

The buyer gives a design brief to designers to create vector graphics for t-shirts and wants them to finish within 24 hours or a week. Deadlines are similar to any other job.

During the design process, the Brain fries-off but still when creation starts taking it to shape then nothing matters to those creative eyes except the desire to see the final product.

The pianist plays the same note with utmost observation until the note gets perfected. It doesn't matter how long it takes. It's the passion that drives to perfect the art.

Cooking is another creative job and some legends are known for their golden hands. People stand in queues to taste a spoon of the masterpiece made by them.

The question is, everyone does hard work with utmost focus. Then how creative people are different?

Creative people are different because their work gives immense happiness and drives them on a roller coaster during the process of creation. They sacrifice everything around to get the desired result which has already taken virtual shape by the supercharged neurons.

There is a science behind it. Generally, people don't like to work after the usual 9 to 5 work hours. Most of us hate if something requires unpaid overtime.

But the creative minds think differently, they visualize their desired result and try to achieve it as quickly as possible. The glimpse of the desired result in their mind is like the live streaming of their dream come true.

What would you do if you have a presentation in an hour or two?

You must be laser-focused on your computer screen going through every important file so that you don't miss anything. At the same time super nervous about your presentation.

Few will lose control and start screaming at their colleagues, juniors, and interns. They forget how to handle the situation.

The rest is handled by the handkerchief which gets the holy bath until the presentation is over.

What do these creative minds do before their presentation?

I got a chance to visit an apparel design studio during their design concept presentation for the upcoming season. The designers use to present their concepts for the upcoming season and after the approval, they use to build all kinds of stories for developing the category wise final design range.

I realised that the whole team was dancing on a piece of loud music and simultaneously preparing their design boards. Everyone had a swag or a dance move in rhythm. 

The design boards were looking fantastic as every inch of it had something to say & get inspired from, some logic, some had the deep psychological story associated with it. 

Everything in that room was talking to each other. Every artwork was so connected like am watching a live story. Those boards had very thoughtful ideas well connected & well presented.

I asked my friend, Why everyone is in celebration mode? Is there any pre-party or something like that?

He replied that it's their presentation scheduled post-lunch. I asked, what about lunch?

He replied, after the presentation though snacking is going on. 

What drives creative minds to be so passionate about their work?

The answer is the interest that motivates those creative minds. An aura of positivity covers them, protects them from negative thoughts. Looks like they have achieved solitude.

Mostly the people with creative works have dived so deep into their passion that they enjoy every moment of it. They are never in a rush of just finishing a job. They know how to train their brain.

What I learned that If you do creative things apart from your regular work. You will feel the changes within you. You will be happier than before.

Saying this because the human brain always lives in fear. Because the brain has the ability to think and analyze every decision made by it & future challenges it will face. Every decision depends on the brain's analysis power of practical and psychological comparisons.

The brain's practical side will say, "Go and propose the girl you like but the emotional or psychological side will create fear and it will say you might get a slap on your face."

And most of the time, psychological side wins as it gives you a virtual visual glimpse of fear of failure.

How to win the situation? How to build a positive attitude?

All thanks to the almighty God for gifting the brain to mankind. There are several ways you can win negative situations. 

Leaving the brain without engaging it to some task is as equal to leaving the computer without the firewall protection. Malicious software and viruses enter your computer and corrupt everything. 

In the same way brain without a task engagement gets occupied by a virtual aura creating a sense of fear & negativity. And this prolonged state of fear & negativity may become the causes of depression.

Negativity, self-doubt, and lack of motivation ruin everything and you will be clueless that why everything happening around you is not right. People start losing hope and things get worse further.

The fight happens within the family and many get separated without any clue to the problem. They think that they were happy before. 

We know what

" Brain works best when it's engaged to some task."

Never leave your brain alone without a task. Prepare your daily routine and engage yourself in a variety of tasks of your interest apart from your regular schedule.  

Suppose you made your goal that - "I want to be happy today."

Then you should pen down your routine that after your office hours you will engage yourself in some creative activities like-

1) Painting

2) Yoga

3) Learning online lessons - that can be cooking classes, guitar lessons, singing, etc

4) Creating a picture album for display wall of your house

5) Creative writing

6) Reading about spirituality 

7) Gardening

8) Playing games - online, offline

9) Vlogging on youtube

and many more. The activities that can bring your interest and can help you in boosting your self motivation.

A couple lives each other's interest when they meet first initial days of their relationship to impress each other. The boy will bring flowers and gifts and the girl will wear a dress of his choice.

And after some time, everything seems complicated because they stop doing it. Their ego starts creating its own space between them and cluelessly they decide to separate.

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How to align mind, body & soul?

In music schools, they teach you about the sound that connects you with cosmic energy in the universe. The sound that helps you to connect your mind, body, and soul and align them for you to enjoy the flow of universal spiritual energy.

The resonance of sounds created by all the instruments together will produce rhythm and that rhythm will help you to enjoy every little thing happening around and it will help you in healing you from inside. 

It happens with every passion you build because if that passion has the power to drive you then that passion has the ability to align your mind, body & soul and make you happy always.

Many of us choose our careers and follow our dreams but many don't get a chance to choose them. They do it because of family pressure, responsibilities, and no other choices.

But It's not written that you cannot live your passion. The best thing about your passion is that it never requires opportunity. It has the ability to drive your mind to build everything from scratch and make you feel incredible every time. 

It can help you in building your own universe. You have to observe & listen carefully to every sign & sound and follow it with the utmost focus. Never let your passion disconnect from you. 

Your passion never makes you impatient. Do you know why? Because it makes you enjoy the journey of your goal. It's boundless of time. You may feel tired of working in your office but when you are doing something of your interest then you won't feel tired. Days & nights will look shorter to you.

Think like a child who waits for the school hours to get over. As he knows that he will get a chance to play with his friend in the evening. That eagerness is there because that game brings joy to that child without any fear. That is something which he enjoys and dream about under the blanket.

So, if you want to be happy forever then find your interest first and include it in your routine without any excuse. And as you will start living your interest then gradually you will start enjoying everything around you.

A kind of positivity for life will develop from within. Your perspective about life will change and you won't think that you are a loser.

Your achievements will pull you out of every negativity because your passion is building your confidence everyday and your individuality which nobody can steal from you. 

Living your passion is the simplest way to train your brain to be happy always.

Author - Pramod Kumar 

Genius of Vidya Balan shines in Shakuntala Devi : Movie Review

Cast :                   Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra, Jisshu Sengupta

Director :               Anu Menon

Genres :                Drama

Subtitle:                 English

Audio Language :  Hindi

Rating :                 3.5 ⭐

Playing a genius mathematician, astrologer who is considered a Human Computer by the world was a challenging task but Vidya has done it with the touch of a maverick. Although at some places one can see the influences of her earlier characters from Dirty Picture and Tumhari Sulu on the role but one cannot deny her indomitable presence throughout the film. She outshines everyone with her expressions and timely puns which was an aspect of Shakuntala Devi's character. 

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                                     Watch the movie at Amazon Prime

While dealing with a biography that too of a person related to science is always a challenging task but the director, Anu Menon, manages to touch all the aspects of the renowned mathematician. The focus she chooses was the mother-daughter relationship between Shakuntala Devi and her daughter Anu (played by Sanya Malhotra). One can see that the protagonist is trying to reconcile with her past which the story shows is the prominent aspect in the life of Shakuntala Devi. 

The film focusses on the journey of the mathematician from a child prodigy, mathematician, astrologer and a short stint of being a politician to the multi-millionaire showperson. The film also revolves around the choices made by Shakuntala Devi whether to abandon her home and leave India or choosing a life partner or writing a book on homosexuality or deciding one-sidedly what is important for her own life and her daughter.

The sole decision making raises the tussle in the film which even reaches to the court to settle the dispute between the mother and the daughter. The audience can see how dramatically the director has put all the elements to portray the beautiful mother-daughter relationship. But the endearing element of the film is the character of Shakuntala Devi herself. The strong figure which she was with a heart of a human is underlined here. It is this reconciliation which takes her from India to abroad and then coming back and connecting with her family. 

It is a must watch for all who has an interest in science and want to know about this Wonder Woman, Shakuntala Devi and her life. The lady herself was the spirit of a strong feminist in those days. Present generation can watch and reflect about the choices made by the Human Computer. Film enthusiasts should go through the story telling techniques and how to deal with emotions. 

Overall the film is emotionally enriching and the story has been neatly woven to connect with the audience. Sanya Malhotra and Jissu Sengupta (playing Shakuntala Devi's husband) were reasonably strong on sharing the screen with Vidya Balan. Sanya adds freshness to the screen while Jissu adding the taste of an old wine. They put through the film forward. Amit Sadh was also recognisable. Watch this film if you love science and science stories or if you want to know about Shakuntala Devi, or you are a die hard fan of Sanya and Jissu and above all watch it for Vidya who added one more feather in her acting stint. Truly the story of Devi as the Human Computer is referred to in the world resonates with Vidya's charm.

Author: Sudarshan Yadav 

He is an academician, teaches film studies and science communication. Film enthusiast and theoretician. He has numerous academic publications related to cinema.