Jump Rope

Execution

1. Warm up with a walk on the spot for 2 minutes and circle the ankles a few times before you start.
2. Stand tall with your elbows against your ribs and turn the rope mostly from the wrists rather than the whole arm.
3. Hop lightly on the spot, lifting the feet only about 2 centimeters, just enough for the rope to pass.
4. Land on the balls of your feet with soft knees at a cadence of about 120-140 skips a minute.
5. Start with 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off, and lengthen the intervals as the calves adapt.
6. In hot, humid weather skip early morning or late afternoon, in a well-ventilated spot, and drink between intervals.
7. Chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness means ending the session and seeing a doctor.

Quick cues

• Turn the rope with your wrists.
• Hop low, just clear the rope.
• Land on the balls of your feet.
• Elbows pinned to your ribs.
• Listen to the rope, do not watch it.

Common faults

• Fault: Hopping as high as a vertical jump

  Fix: Cut the height to a couple of centimeters and count the rope to keep a quicker cadence.

• Fault: Turning the rope with the whole arm, so the shoulders tire before the calves

  Fix: Pin a towel between your upper arm and ribs, keep it there and turn only the wrists.

• Fault: Skipping on concrete in thin shoes

  Fix: Move to wood, a mat or rubber flooring and wear running shoes that still have cushioning.

• Fault: Skipping for 10 minutes straight in the first session and getting shin pain

  Fix: Start with 30-second intervals and add at most about 10% to the weekly total.