Practice English Speaking&Listening with: Jump Rope Basics from "Never Mind Aerobics Here's Punk Rope" (2008)

So what are you wearing on your feet? We prefer flat soled sneakers with good

cushioning in the forefoot. You can try basketball shoes, tennis shoes, or even

indoor soccer shoes. Those are all good choices. It's best to jump on a firm

level surface like a wooden or carpeted floor, but you want to avoid soft, uneven

surfaces like grass or ultra hard ones like this concrete floor.

To size your rope, step on the middle of it with one foot and pull the handles

straight up toward the ceiling. The top of the handles should come close to

shoulder height. If your rope is too long you can shorten it by tying knots near

the handles.

If your rope is too short you'll need to get a longer rope.

Stand with your shoulders relaxed and your knees soft. Keep your elbows in close

to ribs. Your feet should be together and your toes aligned. Your weight should

be slightly forward and you want to be on the balls of your feet. When you jump,

keep your legs close together and leave the ground only one to two inches. Land

softly and quietly.

Now grab both handles of the rope in one hand. Turn your wrist in a circular

fashion so that the rope swings to your side and hits the ground in front of you.

Listen: hit, hit, hit. Now add a jump pushing off with the balls of your feet.

Jump, jump, jump.

Take one handle in each hand with your thumbs on top. Don't choke up too much.

Start with the rope behind your calves. Use your arms to swing the rope over

your head and try to catch it under your toes. Good. Cool. You're ready to jump

through the rope. Just remember to keep your elbows into your ribs and your feet

together. Turn the rope with your wrists, then jump. Remember to keep your jumps low

and land very softly. So it's time to hit the slopes. We're going to go skiing.

Jump side to side as if you're slaloming down the slopes. Now let's take it to the

boxing ring. Gently hop on one foot then the other while shifting your hips side

to side. Now look really mean. Okay that's the alternating foot or boxer step. The

scissors step is next. Alternate sliding your legs forward and backward like a

scissors. Try to keep your legs relatively straight. Okay we're going to

get a little fancy now. This one's called the arm cross. You'll need to bring your

arms across your body about waist height so that the elbows are basically

touching. Make sure your hands extend beyond your hips.

Swing your arms down, not out. Be patient. Don't worry if you miss. Let's try that a

couple more times and remember you need to uncross your arms as the rope passes

around the second time. So for an added challenge you can try these variations:

jumping while turning the rope backwards or towards your heels,

jumping while moving forwards, jumping while moving backwards, jumping

while moving to your left or to your right, and jumping while moving in a

circle or in rotation. During the workout you'll see a variety of rope jumping

steps but always feel free to stick with the basic balance. If you get tangled up

you can also follow along while swinging the rope to the side or you can just put

your rope down altogether. Now crank up the volume and get ready to jump.