Jump Rope Workouts: A Complete Beginner's Guide

A jump rope costs very little, fits in a backpack and can give you a hard conditioning session in 15 minutes. It also improves coordination and foot speed. The only catch is the learning curve — the first few sessions involve a lot of tripping.

Size Your Rope

Stand on the middle of the rope with one foot. The handles should reach roughly to your armpits. Beginners often prefer a slightly longer rope, which gives more time for each jump; experienced jumpers often go shorter for speed.

Basic Technique

• Keep your elbows close to your sides and turn the rope with your wrists, not your whole arms.
• Jump only a few centimetres off the ground — just enough for the rope to pass.
• Land softly on the balls of your feet with slightly bent knees.
• Stay relaxed. Tension in the shoulders makes everything harder.

Learning Steps

If you keep tripping, practise the jump without the rope first, then swing the rope to the side of your body while jumping in rhythm. Next, try single jumps with the rope, pausing between them. Continuous jumping comes with practice.

Beginner Workouts

• Intervals: 30 seconds jumping, 30 seconds rest, for 10 rounds.
• Ladder: 20 jumps, rest, 40 jumps, rest, 60 jumps, then back down.
• Finisher: 3 to 5 minutes of mixed jumping and short rests at the end of a strength session.

Ramp Up Gradually

Jump rope is low-impact compared to running, but it is still repetitive impact on calves, Achilles tendons and feet. Start with short sessions two or three times a week and build up over several weeks. Jump on a forgiving surface — wood, rubber gym floor or a mat — rather than concrete when you can.