Jump Rope Exercises

Jump rope is an amazing exercise equipment. It's portable and inexpensive, hence, you can just buy one for yourself and start your exercise session. What's more, you can regularly perform jump rope exercises and maintain a healthy body weight. These are one of the effective cardiovascular exercises, that help you lose weight and tone all the major muscles of upper and lower body. It works your chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, calves, hamstring, and glutes. Apart from these benefits, the primary advantage is that you can perform them anywhere, at home, in the gym or in the parks. So, no excuses! Well, let us now move on to know about the basic exercises that you can perform daily and improve your fitness.

Five Basic Jump Rope Workouts

Before you start the exercises using a jump rope, first you need to get the right piece for yourself. Here's how to find the right jump rope. Stand on center of the rope, grasp the handles and pull them to your chest. Now the top of the handles must be about six inches below your collarbone. Remember, that it must not reach the collarbone or be just up to your upper abs. A bit longer will do, but using a shorter might make you fall. So, now you have a perfect jump rope. Just put on a good pair of cross training shoes and start the workout with this amazing equipment.

Basic Jump Rope
To start with the basic jump rope workout, keep your feet together and elbows close to your sides. Hold the rope and jump 1 to 2 inches off floor. Swing rope over your head in forward motion and slip it under feet as you jump. Make sure that just the balls of your feet touch the floor. Your wrist and forearms should move, shoulders should not. Continue for a minute. Rest for a minute and again repeat. Repeat this basic jump five times. Go on increasing the duration of jumping and reducing the duration of intervals after every week.

Reverse Basic Jump Rope
This is similar to the basic jump rope, just the direction in which you swing the rope differs. Hold the rope and start jumping as you would in regular jump rope session, feet together, elbows at sides. This time swing the rope over your head in backwards motion. So, instead of bringing it in front of you, take it back from over your head and let it slip under your feet as you jump. Continue for a minute and rest for a few seconds. Again repeat for a minute. Perform 5 such repetitions. Increase the speed and duration of exercise as you get comfortable.

Alternate Foot Jump
Here you need to skip with alternate feet off floor. The rope will slip under one leg and then raise the next leg, it's like jogging on a place and swinging the rope at the same time. The benefit of this exercise is that you perform double the number of skips in a particular amount of time, as compared to that in basic jump rope.

Running Jump Rope
Running jump rope is similar to alternate jump rope, but you don't have to be on the same place. Here you have to run forward while you jump on the rope. Some also enjoy running backwards and performing this exercise, it's fun! You need more space to perform this fat burning exercise.

Double Under Jump Rope
Performing double under is a bit difficult. In this, you have to jump higher than that in case of basic jump rope and move the rope faster. Basically, you need to jump, swing the rope and slip it twice under your feet before your feet touch the floor. Again jump and swing it twice. Many perform triple jump rope as well. Well, you need to practice this for a few days to be perfect. But remember that it's not difficult. So, try it and perform as much jumps as you can in a row. Rest and repeat.

Start performing the aforementioned exercises from today itself and gain maximum jumping rope benefits. Have a healthy and perfectly shaped body with these exercises.