Jumping Rope vs. Jogging for Knee Health: A 45-Year-Old's Guide

Question
Hello Rick

I am a male age 45. On weekends Sat and Sun I go jogging for around 45 mins each. On weekdays, due to time constraints I do skipping (jump rope) 2x a week for around 25-30 mins to ger the cardio benefit in addition to the jogging.

I would like to know, esp with respect to my case here:
is skipping bad for the knees?
what about jogging, again with ref to my case here?

Thank you.

Sincerely

Eddie

Answer
Jump roping & jogging aren't 'bad' for the knees, overuse of any training mode is bad for the knees.  If your legs are strong enough, and you keep your body flexible & recovering well, 'bad knees' may not ever happen.  Proper recovery & rest is the key to adapting to the demands of any training.  I feel its not so much the exercise that damages things, its the lack of a complete, full recovery that submits the muscles & bones to more damage when one exercises without a full recovery.

If its any help, feel free to download my free guide at http://speeddialcoach.com for some additional training tips, I even have a jump rope workout in that guide that may have some interest for you. It's called "The Mini-Max Method", you'll see the link for it on my webpage.

RK