How to Start a Jump Rope Exercise Program

Jumping rope usually brings to mind a school girl's favorite pastime activity on the playground. For getting fit, though, skipping rope is best described as an exercise activity that augments any fitness program. Jumping rope develops coordination, balance, improves cardiovascular condition and maintains and builds healthier bones. Getting started is the key to a successful jumping rope program, as outlined here in these simple steps.

Things You'll Need

• Cross training shoes
• Aerobic jump rope

Instructions

1. Warm up your body first. Do very light skipping of rope or walk in place until your heart rate is raised, and your muscles are warm, usually about five to eight minutes.

2. Keep your posture upright, which means staying relaxed with shoulders down from the ears, shoulder blades comfortably back and abdominal muscles held in toward the spine.

3. Rotate your body weight to the balls of your feet, look straight ahead and not at your feet. Push up and land lightly on the balls of your feet. Keep your knees slightly flexed while the arms are relaxed at your side.

4. Start out slowly, just fast enough to turn the rope in a moving arc over your head. As the rope arrives at the floor, push up on the balls of the feet, not too high, just enough to clear the rope. No need to try to jump high or kick your feet.

5. Develop a rhythm while listening to the rope skip, jumping over it lightly. A steady rhythm like the beginning of The Beatles "Day in the Life" is a good rhythm to work toward, but you can vary the speed, especially when you are just starting out.

6. Put together a jumping rope program by taking turns jumping rope and walking in place. Jump rope for one minute then walk in place for another. Finish after you've been at it for 10 minutes. Gradually increase your intervals and the length of time you jump rope.

Tips & Warnings

• The more you jump rope, the better you'll be at it. After a while, do some tricks like crossing the arms or jumping over the rope twice before landing on the balls of your feet.