Want More Spring In Your Step? Try The New Bala Jump Rope

You may know of the Bala brand for its famous Bala Bangles, colorful 1- and 2-pound weight bracelets you can wear on your wrists or ankles. But now, the brand has launched The Bala Jump Rope — just in time for spring. It features ½-lb. weighted handles, so your wrists and arms can get a workout, too, and the rope is adjustable, so you can tailor it to your jump roping needs. And, of course, it’s very portable — if you don’t want to jump rope indoors, you can tuck it into your bag and bring it along to the gym or local park for a change of scenery. Several celebs are into jump roping, too, including Kaley Cuoco, Halle Berry, and Naomi Campbell, so you’ll be in good company.

Married couple Natalie Holloway and Max Kislevitz, founders of the Bala brand, say they created The Bala Jump Rope since movement comes in all different forms and they wanted to continue to offer people new ways to get their cardio. “Jumping rope was something we all did as kids,” Holloway tells TZR in an email. “It’s fun, different, and can be used in so many ways other than strictly working out. Bala is all about putting a fun, fashionable twist on fitness classics, and that’s exactly what we wanted to do with the jump rope.”

With spring in the air, jump roping is the perfect cardio workout, either as your primary workout or as an addition to your current one. Holloway seconds that. “Jumping rope has a lot of great benefits, ranging from agility to coordination, and is ultimately just a fun and different way to get in your cardio,” she says. “Similar to running, jumping rope elevates your heart rate, making it a great cardiovascular exercise. Plus, 10 minutes of jumping rope is equivalent to 30 minutes of other cardio (running, etc.).” Another fun fact to put it in perspective: 10 minutes of jumping rope is like running an eight-minute mile. So if you’re not a fan of running, you may want to grab a jump rope instead.

And if you’re wondering how much exercise is ideal per week, according to the American Heart Association, adults should get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. This is based on the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. There are several health benefits to cardio workouts — like jump roping — including helping your blood flow and increasing your oxygen supply, sharpening your memory and thinking ability (yes, please); improving your mood (and, thus, staving off anxiety and depression); and helping you sleep better at night (as long as you don’t jump rope right before bed; you don’t want to get too revved up before lying down).

The Bala Jump Rope is available in three core colors — Blush, Charcoal, and Sand — and retails for $75 at Shopbala.com and soon-to-be select retail partners. And if you’re in the New York City area, you can stop by Bala’s pop-up store, #BALANYC, to get an IRL feel for the jump ropes and their weighted handles. We’ll jump to that!