Jump rope exercise is nothing new to most of us, but we probably remember more playing as kids than as adults. It turns out the jump rope is one of the best low impact and high cardiovascular workouts available. But, as easy as it looks, it takes some conditioning and practice to get the most out of your workout. Here are some tips to get started with choosing a jump rope for fitness.

Choose a good jump rope for exercise

There are several categories of jump rope mostly having to decide between types of rope and handles.

1. Choose a ball bearing or swivel action between the rope and handles to prevent twisting and ease of speed jumping.
2. Weighted handles provide a slightly more strenuous workout and also can balance the weight of  a rope.
3. Foam covered handles absorb perspiration.

Rope materials for jump ropes also come in several options. The most popular types of rope are:

1. Leather was used by most boxing gyms traditionally for the durability and medium weight. This is still a great choice if not doing lots of windmill type change ups.
2. Woven or cloth ropes are slow, but light. Their lightness can make it difficult to control the jumps during windy conditions.
3. Speed ropes or nylon ropes are inexpensive and if made of good quality can be some of the fastest ropes for tricks and intense cardio.
4. Beaded ropes are heavy but easily adjustable. These can sting quite a bit if they hit your body during workouts.

Choose a proper length to allow easy clearance, but not too much extra causing the rope to slap the ground and cause unnecessary wear. To find a jump rope length correct for your height, stand on the middle of the rope with one or two feet. The ends should come up to your armpits if you are holding the handles directly in front of your chest. The handles should be upside down from how you would normally grab them for jumping.

Some ropes are adjustable including the beaded ropes. The leather ropes are typically not adjustable except for tying knots near the handles that do not interfere with the swivel action.

For examples of some the ropes above, see the options at Monkey Bar Gym equipment.
I use the weighted speed jump rope and have adjusted the length for easy jumping.

For low impact, jump on a wooden slat floor like those used in gyms for group workouts that has a little give and bounce. When jumping outside, I don’t jump on concrete, but put together a few interlocking gym floor mats to cushion the impact on knees and joints. Let me know your favorite rope or place to jump!