As of: March 8, 2024, 5:38 p.m
By: Alexandra Grauvogl
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Many beginners make the mistake of jumping too high when jumping rope.
This takes unnecessary effort.
It shouldn't be more than ten centimeters.
© IMAGO / Depositphotos
Jumping rope is not just a game for children, but an effective full-body workout.
But can you still learn it as an adult?
Yes, with the right tips on technique and equipment for a successful introduction to rope skipping.
Many people associate jumping rope with their childhood.
But adults shouldn't miss out on the fun either.
After all, effective whole-body training, jumping rope offers many benefits for fitness and health.
Even starting over completely is still possible at an older age – with the right tips.
What to pay attention to when it comes to technology, equipment and training.
Clothing, shoes, surface: What you should consider when jumping rope for the first time
When you start jumping rope, long pants are an advantage.
Because in the beginning it will often happen that you have the wrong timing when jumping and the rope snaps against your shins as you swing through.
This is less uncomfortable with long trousers.
For women, we recommend a sports bra that absorbs the movement of the breasts well due to the jumps.
In general, it is most important that the clothing is comfortable.
Rope jumping beginners and less athletic people should wear sports shoes with good cushioning to absorb shock when jumping.
This is particularly important until the joints have gotten used to the new strain and the muscles are strengthened in order to prevent pain and injuries caused by overuse.
For softer landings, fitness mats or (slightly) springy floors such as rubber floors on a playground, basketball hard court or tennis court can be used as training surfaces.
How long does the rope have to be for jumping rope?
Whether made of leather, steel, hemp or plastic: which rope is the best depends largely on the level of the jumper.
Slightly thicker PVC ropes (5 mm thick) and so-called beaded ropes (nylon cords with threaded plastic elements) are particularly suitable for beginners.
With both, the weight and the higher air resistance ensure that you develop a good feel for the rope.
Light speed ropes or ropes with heavy weight handles, which are intended to build muscles more effectively, are not recommended for beginners.
Integrated pedometers and the like are nice, but far from necessary.
If the rope is attached to the handles with ball bearings, this can provide a better feeling of swing.
Beginners should choose a slightly longer rope than professionals.
You can easily determine the correct rope length in 3 steps:
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Stand in the middle of the rope with your body upright.
The feet are close together.
Pull both ends of the rope up tightly and fold the handles down.
If the end of the rope is at the level of the nipples or armpits, it is the correct length.
However, rope jumping expert Kathi Schraudner admits that the length of the rope is chosen to be shorter, especially for children: “If the children stand in the middle of the rope, the handles should be at hip to waist height,” explains the head of the rope skipping department at TSV Waldtrudering.
If the rope is too long, this usually results in incorrect arm movement.
“Then large and unnecessary movements of the arms and shoulders are made, which causes one to tire quickly and make mistakes.
And both are frustrating.” Of course, the rope shouldn’t be too short either.
Do you finally want to learn how to do push-ups in addition to jumping rope? Here you will find the 6-week training plan for beginners
Learning to jump rope: technique tips for beginners
The Basic Jump is, as the name suggests, the basic technique for jumping rope.
Beginners should first master the basic jump before attempting more difficult combinations.
Basic jump
Feet are parallel to each other and close together
Arms loosely next to your upper body, hands approximately at hip height
Upright upper body, looking forward
Don't jump too high!
Just enough so that the rope can swing well (approx. 10 cm).
Jump on your forefoot.
Do not swing with your whole arms, but rather loosely with your wrists
Variations: Basic Jump with intermediate jump, Basic Jump forward/back (jump slightly offset forwards and backwards), Basic Jump Side to Side (staggered jumps to the left and right), Basic Jump Hip Rotation (twist the hips to the right or left, the Feet land diagonally instead of frontally).
Tip: Many people find the basic jump with an intermediate jump easier at the beginning, as you can slow down a little when swinging the rope.
This way you won't get out of breath so quickly.
Rope jumping expert Schraudner has another training tip: “Swing the rope backwards!”
Many people believe that swinging backwards is much more difficult than swinging forward - but it is not." She therefore recommends that beginners learn the following exercises at the beginning:
Basic Jump: Swing rope both forward and backward
Basic jump with crossed arms
Speed Runs: Running through the quickly swinging rope
According to Kathi Schraudner, typical mistakes when jumping rope with crossed arms are as follows: “The arms are often not crossed far enough, so that the loop in the rope is not wide enough to be able to jump through.
Or you get your coordination confused by crossing your arms and no longer place your feet correctly.
For example, if they are slightly offset, you can quickly get tangled up.”
By the way: You can find workouts and training plans in our PDF library.
Rope jumping techniques for advanced users
As soon as the basic jump is in place, you can practice and combine the following techniques:
Boxer step
Starting position and starting swing like the basic jump
With each jump you shift your body weight onto one leg
To do this, take a small step to the side.
You basically bounce from one side to the other.
Jumping Jack Jumps
The leg movement when jumping rope corresponds to the leg movement when doing jumping jacks, so the landing takes place alternately with feet shoulder-width apart and feet together.
The first time the rope swings the legs are opened and the next time they are closed
Scissor jump
This is a variation of the Jumping Jack Jump.
You alternately land with your feet shoulder-width apart and in a crossed position.
The left and right feet are alternately crossed once in front and once behind
Alternate speed runs and one-leg jumps
The movement is a running step in place, where you alternately and rhythmically jump from one leg to the other.
The knees are alternately pulled upwards similar to the movement during skipping or the knee lift.
The starting position is the same as for the Basic Jump, the swing is made from the wrist
Each time the rope swings through, the take-off leg is changed
Kick jump
Similar to the alternating one-leg jump
Only here you don't pull your knee up, but instead alternately kick one foot forward
Double under
Basic jump, but the rope swings under your feet twice per jump.
In order to gain more height when jumping and therefore time to swing through, the feet can be pulled up backwards.
And what is the best way to approach the double unders that fitness athletes often fear?
“Jump higher, swing faster!” is Kathi Schraudner’s secret recipe.
“Some people in my training group may have heard the saying, but it’s pretty accurate!” says Schraudner.
She recommends starting with basic jumps, then starting to jump a little higher, “taking this momentum up” and transferring it to your arms and finally pulling the rope through twice per jump.
“It is important that the upper body remains upright.
Many tend to fold forward due to the faster swinging.
This in turn means that you can no longer jump properly and end up getting stuck,” says Schraudner.
Tip: First of all, double unders can also be combined with basic jumps in order to achieve a safe execution, e.g.
B. 2 basic jumps, 1 double under, 2 basic jumps, 1 double under, and so on.
Only when this works safely should double under after double under take place.
Jumping rope: 30-minute workout as a PDF for download
Ignite the fat burning turbo!
You can burn around 500 calories in half an hour by jumping rope - you can find the right workout for download in the PDF library!
You will receive access after an easy, free registration.
The PDF library includes, among other things, a 30-minute rope jump workout to boost your calorie consumption © IMAGO / Westend61
How often and for how long should you jump rope?
How often and how long you should jump rope per week depends on several factors.
On the one hand, of course, there is your own fitness level.
While the muscles get used to and adapt to new stresses such as jumps quite quickly, joints, bones and connective tissue take significantly longer.
This takes up to several months.
It is therefore recommended that beginners start with one or two sessions per week and increase slowly.
For people who already practice other sports, a rule of thumb is three to five rope jumping sessions per week.
The surface can also play a role.
If you jump mainly on hard surfaces, the joints are put under greater strain and it is advisable to take rest days so that they can recover and you do not risk injuries.
A maximum of three sessions of up to 15 minutes makes sense.
If you jump on soft or springy surfaces (rubber floor, mat, etc.), you can swing the rope more often and for longer (3 to 5 times per week, between 15 and 30 minutes).
Finally, the training goal also dictates how often and for how long you should jump.
If you want to improve your endurance, you should do longer rope jumping sessions, which are less intense and should be completed three to four times a week.
Short, intense HIIT sessions are perfect for burning calories.
However, due to the high level of stress, the body needs longer to recover.
Therefore, it is better to only plan twice a week.