Quote Originally Posted by Hellbore
Also you mention that running and cardio can help get rid of the lactic acid and help muscles recover.Â

Well, when I run I currently can do 2 miles if I pace myself without stopping, but I don't run very fast. That's about my limit right now.Â

When I jump rope, I can do 3 rounds of 3 minutes each, with a couple minutes of rest in between rounds. After doing that I am extremely tired and almost ready to pass out.

What I am wondering is, which of these 2 are better to lose weight and get in better shape, the running 2 miles (which takes me longer but isn't as intense) or the jump rope (shorter but very intense)?

Keep in mind I'm really out of shape so I'm not exaggerating when I say how tired it makes me. I know I'm a mess that's why I'm working on it :P
I have 3 different tracks to run on. The longest is roughly 4miles, the shortest is roughly 1mile and the middle around 2 miles.

When I run the shortest one I take turns at sprinting and jogging. e.g. when i run past a lamp post, I sprint for about 80m to the next one, then slowly jog 80m to the next one, then sprint againt etc etc.... This really helps my fitness and it gets you very tired but is effective.

For the other 2 I always make sure I sprint the last 100m as fast as possible

And I totally agree about the jumping. I do sideway jumps over my abdo board with my legs always touching and they get me very tired!