Rope jumping may sound so simple, but this recess-friendly workout is an outstanding choice for all fitness level exercisers who want to improve their agility, speed, coordination, rhythm, balance, timing and cardiovascular strength. Requirements are exceptionally less; all you will need to have is a standard jump rope, a firm flat surface indoor or outdoor, and a time counter. If you are a beginner to rope jumping, consider the following rules to keep in mind.
- First keep your elbows up near to your ribs.
- Make sure the rope’s both handles are free flowing.
- Maintain flexibility with hips, knees and ankles when you land.
- Don’t rush to jump high, rather try to keep your jumps low.
- Hold your hands in waist-height position.
- Rotate your wrist to turn the rope.
- First turn the rope, and then jump.
To warm-up your body, follow these:
Joint rotations: First, stand straight and do 10 reps each of shoulder rolls followed by torso twists, cross crawls and lastly, heel raises.
Shadow jumping: Just jump without a rope and rotate your wrist in a way as if you are jumping while holding a real rope. Do 20 repetitions each of basic jump and alternate-jump to complete a shadow jumping.
When you are done with your warm-up, you are all set to try the following 15-minute rope jumping workouts.
Basic jump: Rotate the rope over your head and jump when it passes your feet. As said earlier, you do not need to jump high, just as enough to pass the rope. Continue jumping for one minute with a steady rhythm and then take a one minute break.
Alternate-foot jump: Follow the basics you did while basic jumping but here first you land on your right foot in the first rotation and on the next, land on your left foot. You should feel like you are running in one place without moving your position. Do this for one minute and take one minute rest again.
Combo jump: Repeat eight turns first following alternate-foot jump followed by eight turns of basic jump. Continue this combo jumping for one minute repeating the sequence, then rest for one minute.
High steep: To do this, begin with the alternate-foot jump and try to raise each knee as high as it maintains a 90-degree angle keeping your posture vertically straight. As usual, continue for one minute and have a one minute break.
Endurance jump: Continue jumping with either alternate-foot jump or basic jump for five minutes. If you find it hard to keep it continue that long, then start with one minute jumping taking one minute break for five reps. Aim to complete total six hundred jumps at least.
