Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Jumping rope is the devil’s exercise. Or so went my initial thoughts. Hopping up and down, stuck in place, while swinging a plastic whip haphazardly about your head and ankles, not only filled me with dread but seemed about as interesting as watching paint dry. Running has been my main cardio for most of my adult life, and the jump rope was something I had left firmly behind in childhood. But research has shown that regularly jumping rope can not only strengthen bones and improve balance, but offer an efficient cardio burst for a fraction of the time that jogging takes – and a fraction of the cost of expensive New York City workout classes. So I decided to switch my daily runs for the dreaded jump rope to see what …