Hop, skip and step your way into shape

Look straight ahead. Stand on the balls of your feet, heels bobbing, body loose. Now grab the handles, swing the rope and jump. How hard can it be? You did this in the third grade, right?

But jumping rope can be serious cardiovascular business. For some exercisers, the simple trick of swinging a line overhead and leaping -- repetitively -- provides a workout more intense than running or riding a bike.

"I credit most all of my athletic success to the jump rope," said Buddy Lee, a former Olympic wrestler from Arlington, Va., who started jumping at age 14. "It's a training secret of some of the best athletes in the world."

Lee cites fitness benefits such as better balance and coordination, increased cardiovascular capacity, quicker reflexes and full-body physical conditioning.

"Do 500 jumps a day to keep the dogs away," said Lee, who now runs the Jump Rope Institute, an educational clearinghouse for fitness information.

Whether your "dogs" are weak legs or a few extra pounds, proponents tout rope jumping as a quick way to whip into shape. In as little as 15 or 20 minutes a day, you can have an intense workout and potentially burn off hundreds of calories.

The Jump Rope Institute says that 10 minutes of jumping at 120 revolutions per minute is more efficient than running or swimming laps in a pool. At that pace, it would take 30 minutes of jogging to equal the aerobic workout produced from jumping a line, according to the organization's studies.

10 steps to jumping rope Sean Levesque, group exercise specialist for the Twin Cities YMCAs, said jumping rope is easier on the body than running. "You don't land on your heels," he said. "You're on the balls of your feet, jumping on two feet and absorbing the impact." Levesque, a former coach of an elementary school jump-rope team in Las Vegas, says it is accessible to all fitness levels. "Anyone can do it with a few minutes of instruction," he said.

To start out, Levesque recommends mixing up a jump-rope routine with five or more techniques to work different muscles. He suggests short sets at first, as quick as 30 seconds each. Regular jumpers work up to intense two-minute drills. And don't forget the tunes. "It's hard to jump in a rhythm without good music," Levesque said.

Last week, in a studio at the Ridgedale YMCA, Levesque demonstrated 10 jump rope techniques, from basic to advanced. Follow this regimen to start jumping for fitness on your own.

Two-Foot Jump

The basic technique you do as a kid: Swing the rope overhead, keeping your feet together, and jump every time it lands in front of you on the floor

Rocker

One foot in front of the other. Swing the rope. Leap first with the front foot, followed an instant later with the foot in the rear. Produces a skipping motion.

Runner

Run in place while swinging the rope. The rope should swing fast and go under one foot per revolution.

Bell

Swing the rope in a basic medium cadence as with the Two-Foot Jump. But leap side to side as the rope swings, like a skier slaloming through gates.

High Knees

Alternate leaping the rope foot to foot, kicking the nonleaping leg high off the ground between turns. Your leg should be parallel to the floor when lifted.

360

A technique to spin and reverse rope-swing direction. Start with the Two-Foot technique. Once you've established a rhythm, sweep the rope to your right or left side, spinning your body as the rope loops overhead. Time it right and the rope will land on the floor behind your heels, allowing you to continue jumping but while facing in the opposite direction and with the rope now swinging backwards.

Running Drill

This is one way to cover ground while jumping a rope. Simply start jumping and running in place, then take off. The rope should hit the floor between each step in your stride.

Can-Can

A skipping cadence. Leap the rope on one foot while simultaneously kicking the free foot forward in a dance-step motion.

Single Leg

Leap the swinging line while standing on one foot. Jump for sets of 10 on each foot for a muscle-burning workout.

Rump Jump

This on-the-floor move is mainly for amusement. Sit on your bottom, legs out, and swing the rope overhead with one hand like a lasso. Hold both handles in one hand. Using your glutes and your core, tense your body to provide a momentary bit of levitation while swinging the rope beneath.