You don’t need fancy machines to get fit. Sometimes all you need is something simple, something you’ve played with since you’re a kid. A jump rope! Or skipping rope as some of you may call it.
Jump rope is easy if you have the right form. But the benefits are immense, including agility, speed coordination and cardiovascular endurance. This is why boxers, ring fighters (Muay Thai, MMA fighters etc) incorporate jump rope into their daily training, and why you should start skipping rope.
How to Skip Properly
- Get the rhythm of the bounce by bouncing on the balls of your feet while keeping your body in a relaxed yet upright position. Arms just by the side of your body. Try to hit 20 consecutive reps.
- When you have found a good rhythm, elevate your arms 30-degrees to the side of the body and pretend you have an imaginary rope in hand. Time the wrist to spin before the jump.
- With your jump rope in both hands, try to listen for the rope landing on the ground and then only jumping. You can start with 2 bounces for every rope passing under your feet.
Progression
- 1 rope under, 2 bounces
- 1 rope under, 2 bounces, 1 rope under, 1 bounce
- 1 rope under, 1 bounce
Body Posture
- Body upright – think about how the African tribes bounce off their ball of the feet while extending their ankles.
- Elbows slightly extended to the side but does not rotate
- Wrist will rotate forwards
Tips to Maximise Your Workout
- Stay consistent in your bounce height. Don’t bounce to high or too low.
- Use the correct rope length. Determine this by putting the ends of both handles at your shoulders. Put one foot at the arch of the rope on the floor.
— Correct length: Foot still on the rope, on the ground, ends of handles will be perfectly at the shoulders.
— Incorrect length: Ends of handles will be lower/higher than the shoulders. (Too short/too long for you) - Practice, practice, practice. Try 5 minutes a day to start off.
- Bounce height should be ¼ – ½ inches off the ground only. Just enough for the rope to get under your feet.
- Maintain your arms just about waistline, with your elbows bent and relaxed to the side.
3 Effective Jump Rope Workouts for You to Try:
10-min Jump Rope Workout
Mash Up Jump Rope Workout
Fat Blaster Jump Rope Workout
Happy skipping!
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