Amanda Kloots Just Turned 40—But She Swears By This Workout a 4th Grader Could Do

It would take a lot to throw trainer and CBS The Talk host Amanda Kloots for a loop. In the past few years, the founder of Amanda Kloots Fitness navigated the tragic death of her husband, Broadway star Nick Cordero (and wrote a book on the experience with her sister Anna Kloots, called Live Your Life), all while raising her now 2-year-old son Elvis Kloots, launching a T-shirt line, and performing on Dancing with the Stars. Through it all, she’s been unwavering in her characteristic poise and grace, using her social accounts to spread messages of positivity amid tough pandemic times.

As for what continually sets her up to take on so much so well? That would be a morning routine as resilient as she is. And if there’s one thing you should know about it, it’s that Amanda Kloots never skips her A.M. jump-rope session.

If you’re a fan of Kloots, you’ll know she’s had a years-long devoted relationship with jump roping, even launching her own AK! Jump Rope and developing out-of-the-box jump-roping exercises for clients looking to get creative with their cardio. Fancy stuff aside, a simple 10-minute bounce is a regular part of her morning routine once she arrives at the CBS studios for The Talk filming each day. “I’m a creature of habit and like to stick to the things that’ve always made me feel good,” says Kloots, whom I spoke with in relation to her partnership with herbal wellness company Traditional Medicinals and their line of organic lozenges.

That consistency is all the more important to her when things get otherwise hectic. Cue: her ball-of-energy son. “Honestly, the only thing that has really changed my morning routine isn’t so much me turning 40 as it is my son about to turn 3,” she tells me, with a laugh. “He’s a superb little kid, but in the morning, he wants his things in his way at his time.”

“Jump roping is an instant stress- and anxiety-reliever, and the only thing I consistently do for myself on a daily basis.” —Amanda Kloots

For many, that’d be draining—perhaps so much so that fitting in a workout, too, each morning might seem impossible. But to Kloots, the mini whirlwind at home is all the more reason to squeeze in her 10-minute jump-rope session once she gets to the studio. “It’s my moment of clarity, the 10 minutes that I set aside to just get out of my own head,” says the trainer, who tells me that she always feels better not just physically, but also mentally, after moving her body. “It’s an instant stress- and anxiety-reliever, and the only thing I consistently do for myself on a daily basis.” Well, that and popping a Traditional Medicinals lozenge just before filming, as a quick yet soothing alternative to tea (which she never quite finds time to brew).

Sure, Kloots might also work in a longer exercise session later in her day (she’s also a dance cardio aficionado), but she still swears by the playground classic as a simple way to work out your whole body, stat. “A lot of times, people think [jumping rope] is going to be easy because it’s something they did when they were a kid,” she says, “but it’s actually a great workout. It takes stamina, it takes endurance, and it takes practice to get the coordination down.”

If you haven’t touched a jump rope since your recess days, Kloots says the best way to get back into it (or, get into it for the first time, if Double Dutch was never your thing) is to just start, and be patient with yourself. “What I love about jump roping is that it’s a challenge,” she says. “So, start off slow and then work toward faster and longer jumping sessions over time. You’ll begin to actually see yourself improving, which is always motivating in exercise.”

If you’re in search of an adult-friendly jump rope, you can find our favorites here. Then, scroll down for a video from Kloots on how to nail your jump-roping form.

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