The Jump Rope

Start with your feet together to allow for the rope to swing with better ease. With a slight bend in your knees start bouncing and swinging the rope around while landing on the midsole of the foot. Keep the elbows at your sides and tucked back. Repeat this over and over to get your heart rate going. A playground favorite.

This movement helps to engage the upper body. Start standing with your feet together. You’ll do the same jump as in the Basic Jump, and on the next swing you’ll drop your shoulders and cross your arms to extend wrists out as far as you can to jump through the narrower part of the arc. On the next jump, complete a Basic Jump and on the next one Criss-Cross and pass through the arc. In and out!

This jump provides more of a challenge for your abs and glutes. In this move you’ll mimic a High Knee exercise by driving your knee into your chest and alternating by running in place. Swing the rope in between the knee drive and try to keep a consistent pace. Drive those knees!

Mix it up! This movement helps to engage the upper body. Start standing with your feet together. You’ll do the same jump as in the Basic Jump, and on the next swing you’ll drop your shoulders and cross your arms to extend wrists out as far as you can to jump through the narrower part of the arc. On the next jump, complete a Basic Jump and on the next one Criss-Cross and pass through the arc. In and out!

Start by getting into the flow of the Basic Jump described before. Jump as many times as you’d like using the Basic Jump technique and then pause for a stationary landing but use the momentum from the rope to swing the rope from one side of your body to the next, creating an X shape. Draw the X’s as many times as you’d like but make sure to swing it the same amount of time on each side. Again, using the momentum from the rope, place the handles on each side of your body and get into that Basic Jump again. This one is great if your new to jumping because it allows for a little bit of a pause while still keeping you going!

The Rope is a great tool, not just for cardio, but for your wind down and warm up too! Start in a standing position with feet wider than hips width distance. Double up the rope and grab the ends at your preferred distance and extend arms over head keeping tension in the rope. Tip your upper body over to one side for a side body stretch and repeat on the other side. With your arms extended, push your hips forward and your raised arms backward for a chest stretch. This one feels good.