"It helps your shoulders. It helps your forearms as well. ... When you spin it around at a quick velocity, it develops quickness and speed."

Adrienne Hughes-Harris/Special (ENLARGE)

Norman Eng mixes jumping rope with other exercises such as pull-ups, curls, bench presses and squats.

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His challenge: While Norman Eng, 31, always loved to lift weights and box, he was no fan of cardio. He had tried running but found it monotonous. "I felt like a hamster on a wheel," he says. Still, he knew he needed cardiovascular exercise. And since he had limited time at the gym, he wanted something that would get his heart rate up quickly.

His solution: Two years ago he saw some people jumping rope at his gym. Intrigued but feeling self-conscious, he snuck off into a corner where no one could see him try it out. "It was pretty ugly to start off with. At first I couldn't even get three jumps in a row. But I kept practicing and practicing," he says. Now he can jump rope for 10 minutes straight. And he only stops for a drink, not from exhaustion, he explains.

A breakdown of his sport: Jumping rope really appeals to exercisers who are crunched for time. Unlike other cardiovascular sports, it only takes a little bit of time to do a lot of good. The Jump Rope Institute, an organization whose mission is to educate and motivate people to jump rope, says that research shows jumping rope can dramatically improve cardiovascular health in only five to 10 minutes.

His routine: When Eng hits the gym, he alternates between strength exercises and jumping rope. "I'll do a set of 10 pull-ups, and if I have space in the gym, I'll whip out the jump rope and go for one minute," he says. He continues this regimen in between sets of other moves like curls, bench presses and squats. "I usually try and do it about four to five days a week," he says. "And then maybe the following week I'll drop it down to like two to three because you don't want to burn out too quickly."

Learning new tricks: Once Eng had mastered the basic jump, he started watching videos of boxers like Floyd Mayweather Jr. to learn different styles. Now he can do tricks like "one-legged hops," "crossovers" and "double-unders." He says learning new moves keeps it exciting. "You can vary it up. The ones that I can't get, it forces me to try to learn those tricks. No matter what, you're getting a workout," he says.

Why it works for him: Not only does the quick workout give Eng more time at his job, it gives him more energy for it, too. "We do a lot of manual therapy where we're stretching people, we're moving around; it's not sedentary. Jumping rope gives me that extra boost that I need to help me throughout my day," he says.

Results: It's no surprise that jumping rope keeps Eng lean and builds his legs but he says he's also seen a lot of improvement in his upper body. "It helps your shoulders. It helps your forearms as well," he says. Plus, "when you spin it around at a quick velocity, it develops quickness and speed."

His advice: Trying to jump rope in between sets of weights can be tiring, he says. But he knows from experience that the key is not to quit: "Do what you can at first, then work your way up to jumping in between every set."

Ready to rope?

You could pick up any old jump-rope to get started, but Eng uses Buddy Lee's Aero Speed Jump Rope ($39.95, buddyleejumpropes.com). No need to get a special size; this one's adjustable.