Are you new to jump rope and want some tips on getting started? Check this out!
P.S. If you don't want to read we have a video at the bottom!
Jump rope is an activity that nearly everybody can do! Jumping rope not only helps to improve your cardiovascular fitness – it also improves agility, muscular endurance, reaction time, bone density, and even mental health. In addition to all these benefits, perhaps the BEST part about jump rope is that it is so much fun! It’s an activity that many people remember doing when they were younger, so it brings back fun memories. And it’s also something that you can do as an adult! Does it take a little practice? Of course – but doesn’t everything that’s worthwhile!? The good news is that the learning curve to get started isn’t that steep. You can begin jumping and progress very quickly, and if you’re a person who enjoys continuing to learn, you will NEVER run out of exciting new challenges with jump rope!
In this blog, we have some simple steps to get you started. You can do this! Let’s get you jumping!!
Step 1: Choose a Rope. There are tons of ropes out there, and we want to help you sort through them to find the best option. The first thing to know: You do not need to pay an arm and a leg for a rope. You can get a very durable rope for under $20 that will give you a great workout and help you learn tons of skills. (We have some great ones for sale! Check them out here!)
The benefits of various ropes:
a. Beaded Ropes – durable and has natural feedback on every revolution
b. Licorice (PVC) Ropes – Great for learning speed jumping and serves as a good transition from beaded to wire ropes.
c. Wire Ropes – Great for advanced jumpers, particularly for speed and double unders
Step 2: Size you rope. You want to make sure that your rope is sized perfectly for you. Ideally, you want the rope to be between 4 – 8 inches over your head when you’re jumping. This will help give you room to jump. The rope should not feel like its slapping and bouncing on the floor. If you feel that, it’s probably too long!
Here’s a great way to size your rope:
a. Hold 1 handle in each hand with wider end to the top
b. Step in the middle of the rope
c. Pull the rope up to your arm pits
d. If rope is too long you can…
a. Tie a knot (Licorice Rope)
b. Undo the knot and remove beads. Put handle back on, re-tie the knot. Then cut off the extra rope and burn the end so it doesn’t fray.
Step 3: Start jumping!!
Start in ready position: This is your starting stance where you have the rope behind your body. You’ll have one handle in each hand with your elbows close to your body and bent at about 90 degrees.
Key things to keep in mind, from head to toe:
a. Head – Look forward! Looking up or down excessively can cause you to lose balance.
b. Shoulders – Relax your shoulders. Do not tense up because it causes your arms to raise up and can cause misses.
c. Keep your arms in – The wider your arms get the higher you have to jump to clear the rope.
d. Core – Keep your core engaged to stabilize yourself while jumping.
e. Knees – Your knees should be soft. DO NOT lock your knees while your jumping.
f. Feet – Jump on the balls of your feet, NOT flat-footed. Jumping flat-footed can cause shin splints and unwanted pain through your ankles and legs.
g. Jumping: Start with a bigger swing of the rope on the initial turn. Then once the first jump happens, continue by turning small circles through your wrists and forearms.
a. No need to jump high! The rope isn’t very big, so you only need jump about 1-2 inches off the ground to clear it.
Step 4: Take it slow. Do not try to overdo it the first time you start jumping. If you like to count your jumps, we would recommend doing 30 – 50 jumps for 3 – 5 sets during a workout. If you enjoy timing yourself, we would recommend jumping for 20 – 30 seconds for 3 – 5 sets during a workout. These are just suggested starting ranges. You can increase or decrease the volume depending on your fitness level.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Jump rope doesn’t have to be daunting! It’s a great fitness activity that will give you a great workout while you’re having a blast!