Different Ways to Jump Rope

Jumping rope is an effective cardiovascular activity to do at home because it does not require much space or specialized equipment. Jumping rope is also a big calorie burner. A 145-lb. person, for example, burns an average of 330 calories per 30 minutes of jumping rope, according to HealthStatus. Adding rope jumping to your cardio routine allows you to challenge your cardiovascular system while toning your lower body and abs.

Basic Jumping

Jumping rope should be easy on your knee joints. To eliminate stress on your knees, keep your knees soft when jumping, jump only a few inches into the air and land softly on the balls of your feet. It is also important to keep your shoulders relaxed, your elbows at your sides and your arms as still as possible while turning the rope. When jumping rope, ensure that you jump only once per revolution. If you find that you are hopping mid-revolution, increase the speed of the rope to eliminate the extra hop.

Side-to-Side Jumping

Side-to-side jumping targets your calves, hamstrings and glutes, as well as your inner and outer thighs. Begin by jumping rope in place with your feet together.
Then start side-to-side jumping by propelling yourself a few inches to the right when you jump, and then back to the left. Continue jumping side to side, keeping your feet together. For more of a challenge, jump farther to the side to increase the work done by your inner and outer thighs.

One-Legged Jumping

One-legged jumping allows you to work one leg at a time to really target your calves, hamstrings and glutes. One-legged jumping also works your core by challenging your sense of balance. To begin, jump in place with your feet together. Then bend your right leg so you are jumping only on your left leg. Continue jumping on your left leg for 30 seconds, then switch to your right leg. As you gain more strength, work up to jumping on each leg continuously for one minute.

Front-and-Back Jumping

Front-and-back jumping will challenge all of the muscles of your lower body and prevent shin splints by working the muscles along the front of your lower legs. To start, jump in place. Then jump a few inches forward, then back into starting position. Continue jumping front and back. As you gain strength, increase the distance jumped to further challenge your lower body.

References

• HealthStatus: Calories Burned Estimator
• RopeSport: Proper Jump Rope Technique