Jump Rope Workouts - Skipping Rope Exercises for Midlife Women

In the UK we call it skipping, and do it with a skipping rope. In the US, and elsewhere in the world, you jump rope, using a jump-rope!

Whatever you call it, jumping rope is a fantastic form of exercise and one you can't afford to leave out of your aerobic exercise program.

Even if you haven't twirled a rope since you did 'Salt, Mustard, Vinegar, Pepper' at primary school, it's time to get back into skipping.

Jump Rope Workouts: Health Benefits of Skipping

- Excellent cardiovascular exercise, working heart and circulation

- Increases stamina and flexibility

- Burning calories with regular jump rope workouts can help you lose belly fat that can be such a problem during the menopause

- Builds bones and is a good osteoporosis prevention exercise, recommended by the UK Osteoporosis Society

- Strengthens bones and muscles in legs and hips, works the butt muscles

- A good upper body workout, strengthens wrists and promotes core strength

- Helps improve balance and co-ordination

How many calories are burned when you jump rope?

The number depends on your body weight and the speed at which you twirl that rope. These are approximate calorie counts:

Beginner? Working at 60-80 turns a minute, you'll burn 70kcal in 10 minutes.

Speeding up? When you graduate to 80-120 turns a minute, you'll burn 110 kcal in a 10 minute skipping workout.

Jump Rope Workouts: Skip Safely

• If you have existing health issues which could be affected by jumping rope, such as knee or hip problems, osteoporosis, arthritis or heart conditions, check with your physician before beginning any skipping rope exercises.
• Warm up every time before you skip. See our notes on warm ups and safe exercise.
• Wear shoes with soft soles.
• Jump rope on a surface that's not too hard - a wooden floor is more forgiving than concrete.
• Stop immediately if you feel any pain.
• Make sure you land on the balls of your feet, not the heels, and keep your legs slightly bent.
• Take it easy when you first experiment with a jump rope workout. As with all forms of exercise, start slow and build up gradually.
• Be careful of your rope, especially if other people are in the area.
• Let your muscles cool down at the end of a session by skipping slowly and gently for a few minutes.

Jump Rope Workouts: How to Skip

As a kid you may have turned your rope lazily, with a lot of rebound on each jump. That's not the way to skip when you're looking for a great exercise session - here's the technique you need for a great jump rope workout.

Measure your rope Stand on the middle of your rope and pull the handles upwards. They shouldn't come any higher than your armpits. If you have an adjustable jump rope, tweak the length until it's correct. On a non-adjustable rope, you can tie knots below the handles to take up any slack.

Posture Stand up straight, relax your shoulders, breath naturally.

Arm position Keep your elbows tucked into your sides, forearms out to the side at up to 90 degrees. Most of the work should come from the forearms and wrists. Make economic circular movements with your wrists, don't flail your arms around.

The jump Jump just 2.5-5cm (1-2 inches) off the floor, leaving just enough space for the rope to pass beneath your feet. Keep knees slightly bent and jump on the balls of your feet, which are the only part of your foot that should touch the floor. Land softly. Don't rebound.

The rope It should pass fairly close to the top of your head. If you lean forward or don't skip fast enough, you're feet will get tangled up in the rope.

Speed As a beginner, place a timer where you can see it and try one jump per second, 60 per minute. Start with skipping for just one minute, and gradually increase the amount of time and the pace.

Make it interesting Once you've mastered the basic method you can speed up, add different steps and try skipping to music.

Jump Rope Workouts: Skipping Exercises Sequence

You can adapt this basic jump rope fitness workout to fit any amount of time you want. Vary it by adding different skipping steps such as using alternate feet so you appear to be running on the spot, or double bounce, where you jump over the rope and jump again when the rope is over your head.

• Set up a second timer where you can see it easily.
• Warm up by jumping rope at a slow gentle double-bounce for 3 minutes.
• Have a 30-second rest.
• Skip as fast as you can for 1 minute.
• 30-second rest
• Skip as fast as you can for 1 minute.
• 30-second rest
• Continue in the same way for the rest of your workout - start with 10 minutes and work up to a longer session as your stamina improves.

Go from Jump Rope Workouts to Types of Aerobic Exercise.

Go from Jump Rope Workouts to Beat Menopause Weight Gain.