Did you know that jumping rope is a plyometric exercise?

Well, if you haven’t jumped rope since you were a kid, you might be surprised by how challenging it can be.

In fact, I think it’s one of the best forms of cardio conditioning out there–way better than the eliptical trainer.

You can probably expect to get winded and feel uncoordinated the first time you try jumping rope for cardio, but after a few sessions you will start to get the hang of it.

The Basics
Start by just practicing the standard two foot jump. It might take a little patience to get the timing right, but after a little while this should become relatively simple for most people.

Once you get that move down, you can move onto alternating feet (skipping), and then work on doing double skips.

Harder Moves
When you get comfortable with the basics, try doing a crossover or a double-under. Crossovers involve switching your hands to the opposite side and then back. Double unders are when the rope goes around twice during one jump. Both of these moves take some practice to get the hang of, but challenges are what makes life exciting!

Trainer tips
If jumping rope is hard for you in the beginning, just start with 10-15 minutes. Eventually you can build to longer sessions.

When you cross over you have to throw your hands out as wide as you can and keep them close to waist height.

For double unders, whip the rope as fast as possible and try to get a higher jump than normal.

Check out the video below for more: