Proper Jump Rope Technique

Jumping with proper technique is extremely important. Without it, the effectiveness of your workout will be greatly diminished. Using proper form is the best way to minimize any chance of injury while allowing you to jump ropes with the most energy efficient motion possible, often referred to by fitness professionals as “economy of motion.” Throughout your workout remind yourself to focus on the fundamentals, no matter what jump you’re doing or how tired you’re feeling.

The position of your arms and how you’re turning the rope is a critical component of proper jumping technique, so let’s start there. Jump ropes are designed to help you maximize your cardio workout. You should be using some wrist and some forearm to turn the jump ropes. Try to make small circles or it might help to think of a cranking motion. Be careful that you’re using a combination of both wrist and forearm. In fact, one of the most common mistakes I’ve seen with beginning jumpers is that they’ll turn the jump rope with their arms extended way away from their torso, using only their wrists with very little forearm. As a result, their shoulders to do most of the work and they get tired very quickly because of improper jumping technique.

Something else that causes the arms to extend away from your torso and into an incorrect jumping position is using a rope that’s too long. It forces your arms to compensate for the improper length, while a rope that’s sized properly allows the arms to remain in a natural, relaxed position. Again, you want to try to keep your elbows right by your torso and make sure that your forearms are angled toward the front, not extended out to your sides. Ropesport customer service offers this more information. If your arms are in the correct position and you’re turning the rope with a balance of wrist and forearm, the result is a relaxed, energy efficient rotation action. We refer to it as having a “smooth stroke” and it’s something you should focus on from your very first workout.

Another important part of proper jumping technique is only jumping a few inches off the ground, just enough room to let the rope pass under your feet. Remember that jumping rope is about timing, not how high you jump. To see more information about how to properly jump rope through our fitness videos.Another common mistake I see with beginning jumpers is that they jump far too high off the ground. This causes them to use a lot of excess energy and to land with way too much impact. When you’re jumping with proper form there is very little impact, much less than in many other aerobic activities and far less than running. As a beginning jumper, constantly remind yourself to land softly. Some mental imagery I’ve found helpful is to imagine you’re jumping on a glass floor – if you land too hard you break the floor.

Try to keep your shoulders down and relaxed, not up and tight. Your knees should remain soft and act like shock absorbers. Again we insist that you have the proper jump ropes. You’re pushing up off the balls of your feet and your heels are just tapping the ground. Your hands should stay level with your hips; don’t let them rise up or the rope will catch on your feet. This is a common error when you’re learning a new jump – while your body goes up your hands should stay down.

One last thing we see with a lot of beginning jumpers is that they’ll take an extra little jump or what we call the “bunny hop.” The basic rule of thumb on both jump ropes when you’re starting out is to take one jump rope per revolution of the jump, not two (i.e. there are some exceptions to this rule with certain advanced jumps – more on this later). There’s nothing inherently wrong with the bunny hop. In fact, it’s very gentle on the body, but it will limit your ability to execute a lot of different jumps and if possible should be avoided.

Usually the Bunny Hop is the result of turning the rope too slowly, causing you to take an extra jump while you wait for the rope to come around. A simple correction for the Bunny Hop is to just turn the rope faster. Try jumping to the beat of the music, and having music that’s formatted at the right tempo is very helpful.