Jumping rope – didn't we all love doing that as kids? As a fitness exercise, it has long been a popular warm-up routine, especially for boxers, martial artists, and strength athletes. It gets your heart rate up, gets your whole body moving, and above all, it's an effective endurance workout. But rope skipping has also increasingly made its way into CrossFit boxes and gyms in recent years. Let's take a closer look at this easy-to-learn sport.
Learning to jump rope – but how?
Anyone who thinks jump roping is child's play is mistaken. Try jumping rope consistently for a few minutes if you are completely out of shape. You probably won't succeed. So how do you start? Jump rope enthusiasts have published many great instructional videos for anyone interested on popular platforms like YouTube, other platforms, or blogs. There, you'll get great step-by-step instructions for the common basic jumps:
The Bounce Step is the classic jump where both feet jump up slightly at the same time while the rope swings underneath. It is important that you jump and land only on the balls of your feet.
With the Alternate Step, you start with the Bounce Step, hopping on both feet briefly to get into a steady rhythm before hopping on only one foot at a time. Meanwhile, the other foot lifts slightly backward into the air. It looks a bit like running in place. Your feet touch the ground alternately.
As an absolute beginner, I started by learning the jumping movements completely without a rope first, while paying attention to what my arms were doing. Note: Keep your upper arms as still as possible close to your body, while your forearms and especially your wrists execute the movement that swings the jump rope in a circle around you. Professionals execute the swinging circular movement of the rope almost exclusively by rotating their wrists. Many people make the mistake of swinging their entire arm. However, that is counterproductive.
Pay attention to the following:
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Lift your feet only high enough for the rope to pass underneath. The goal is not to jump as high as possible, but consistently, almost monotonously.
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Try to keep your arms bent and steady, working on driving the movement as much as possible from your wrists.
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Warm up beforehand – especially your wrists, but also your ankles!
The positive aspects of jump roping
If you're wondering why jump roping is becoming increasingly popular, we have a few answers for you:
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It is easy to learn.
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You don't need much equipment: a good jump rope, preferably cushioning shoes, maybe a jump mat or a cushioned surface.
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It is an exceptionally effective cardiovascular workout.
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It is an equally brilliant endurance workout.
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You can do it almost anywhere. Even indoors, provided you have enough room around you and the ceiling height permits it. A jump rope doesn't take up much room in your luggage, either.
Did you know that half an hour of jump rope burns even more calories than half an hour of jogging? It is almost a full-body workout using minimal equipment. You can start small and improve almost endlessly. The variations are more diverse than many people think. Single Unders (i.e. single jumps) or Double Unders (where the rope rotates around you twice instead of once while your feet are jumping up). Jumping backward, criss-cross jumps, and so on. It challenges and improves your coordination, concentration, and balance. At the same time, muscle groups such as the quad muscles, glutes, calf muscles, as well as the shoulder and back muscles are strengthened and trained. You can practice it slowly and steadily or incorporate it into a sweaty HIIT session and go all out. In short: jumping rope is versatile and fun once you have mastered the basic technique.
Which rope do I need for jump roping?
For beginners, a good mid-range jump rope is sufficient. What matters is that there is a ball bearing swivel joint between the handle and the rope attached to it. Otherwise, the rope would constantly twist on itself. Thanks to a ball bearing, it stays smooth and clean on track, and the rotations run evenly in 360° circles. Good jump ropes are available starting at just 10 to 15 euros. The vast majority have a braided wire cable, which in turn is coated with a flexible plastic layer such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Most also feature a soft, non-slip foam layer around the handle, preventing even slightly sweaty hands from slipping. If you want to train extensively and professionally, you can also opt for a Speed Rope: Here, the emphasis is placed on allowing the jump rope to achieve maximum speed. That's why the handles are slightly slimmer and lighter, the rope is even sturdier, and the ball bearing swivel is designed to be even higher quality. The absolute top tier consists of jump ropes such as the High Speed Rope Bluetooth, which features an integrated small computer and display in the handle that tracks metrics via sensors, such as the number of jumps, workout time, or calorie consumption. Everything is sent via Bluetooth interface to a medium of your choice. This can be a wearable like a fitness tracker wristwatch, or directly to the fitness app on your smartphone or tablet.
How to adjust your jump rope correctly
A little help to set up your rope correctly before your first workout: You usually receive the handles and the rope unassembled. There is a reason for this: it allows you to determine the exact length your rope should be. To do this, thread the ends of the rope through the designated holes at the end of the handle. Then step onto the middle of the rope so that it is secured to the floor. It is best to do this while wearing your workout shoes. Now pull the rope on both sides by the handles up to your armpits. The end of the handle should be roughly at armpit height. This is your optimal rope length, and you can now lock the steel cable in place using the locking screw. This sets the ideal rope length for your height, and you can easily thread a new rope in if the old one ever breaks.
Jump roping as a versatile fitness workout
As you may have noticed, jumping rope is a fascinating sport and can be integrated seamlessly into your endurance training. You can use it as a warm-up or, for instance, as a cardio exercise during a Tabata or HIIT session. It improves coordination and engages many body regions and muscle groups. You can start slow and steadily build up. Don't give up if the rope gets snagged occasionally; instead, take it as motivation to achieve one more jump next time than during the previous round. Or you can base it on time: Start with half a minute. Once you've accomplished that, set your goals higher step by step. You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll celebrate success if you just practice consistently and stick with it!
