More tricks, fun rope skipping has many benefits

Rope skipping has received more and more attention in recent years. Because this sport is simple, easy, safe, and requires little space, it has been included in the physical education entrance examination in many provinces and cities. Now many children and teenagers are also learning rope skipping.

Before we start skipping rope, we need to choose a suitable rope. For beginners such as toddlers and children, it is recommended to choose a rope with a little weight at the beginning, such as thick rubber rope or bamboo rope . This kind of rope has a certain weight, which is easy for toddlers and beginners to swing and build confidence in learning. Thick rubber rope is easy to knot after being folded, carried and bent many times, so bamboo rope is better. Ropes that are too soft and thin or too thick and light are suitable for practitioners who have mastered certain skills. Advanced practitioners and even professional athletes will also have professional racing ropes to choose from.

Well, after choosing a rope that suits you, we need to adjust the rope to a length that suits you. The right rope length can improve the athlete's athletic performance. So how do you adjust the rope length that suits you? Here's a simple way to adjust the rope to suit your height: fold a rope in half, hold the two folded rope handles with one hand, and raise them sideways at shoulder level. The bottom of the rope almost touches the ground. At this time, the length of the rope is relatively suitable for the athlete.

When young children and teenagers are just starting to learn rope skipping, they can start without a rope. You can play a piece of music with a strong sense of rhythm . Children can jump with one or both legs in turn in small steps to the rhythm of the music, and pay attention to bending the knees appropriately to reduce the impact force on the lower limbs. When the children's bodies are convenient and smooth in jumping, they can gradually add upper limb shaking simulation movements , and finally practice shaking the rope over the head and jumping gently with the rope. When holding the rope, we should hold it in the middle and back of the rope handle, and jump and land on the toes and forefoot . The jump height does not need to be too high, just enough to exceed the rope. When landing, the knees are slightly bent for cushioning.

Rope skipping

Now that you can jump rope, let's see what other fun and tricks you can have with this small rope.

The forward swing and foot jump is a classic move that anyone who knows how to skip rope can do. Hold the rope handles with both hands, bend your upper arms naturally and lift them forward, place the rope behind you, approximately below your hips and above your knees, use both wrists to exert force at the same time and cooperate with the forearms to swing the rope in front of your body. When the rope touches the ground, jump up with both feet lightly, let the rope pass under your back foot and land on your feet, and at the same time, shake the rope with both hands continuously, and repeat. At the same time, once you have mastered this standard move, you can improve the move and add more tricks.

The rope skipping exercise of opening and closing is based on the forward shaking jumping with both feet. The legs are opened and closed, and the feet are brought together, alternating between the movements as the rope passes through the soles of the feet one by one.

The knee-lift jump is based on the hand movement. When you cross the rope for the first time, one leg jumps normally, and the other leg's knee is lifted until the thigh and calf are perpendicular. At the same time, the body remains upright and does not tilt. Repeat the exercise alternating between the two feet.

Based on the hand movements, the knee-lift and side-touch jump is performed. When the rope passes for the first time, one leg jumps normally, and the knee of the other leg is lifted up. When the rope passes for the second time, the calf on the side with the knee lifted up quickly moves toward the opposite foot, touches the ground with the toes, and then retracts. Switch legs and repeat.

Two or three people can choose to be accompanied by two or three children or parents. Each person holding a skipping rope can jump at the fastest speed of ten seconds according to the specified time and order, such as the order of baby-father-mother, and the relay will be carried out alternately to increase the fun of the game.

Parent-child double jump: an adult and a child stand face to face or in the same direction. The adult or the taller one takes the lead in swinging the rope, and the rope passes under the feet of the child and the adult in turn, and it continues. Note that the length of the rope for this method should be adjusted slightly longer. You can try jumping a few times to choose the appropriate rope length.

Rope skipping consumes energy quickly, is very intense, and requires and improves cardiopulmonary function. It is easy to get started and not boring. It can be combined with single or multiple people and fancy skipping methods. At the same time, it requires concentration and improves attention. During rope skipping, the body needs to coordinate the muscles, cardiopulmonary function and balance ability of the whole body to participate in the exercise. For young children and adolescents, the vertical impact can stimulate bone growth and is also beneficial to development and height growth.

Although skipping rope is good, many wrong movements during the process, especially improper posture, can easily cause knee and ankle joint injuries. In addition, the amount of exercise is large. In the hot summer, it is important to do it in the evening or in a cooler and flat place. The single exercise time should not be too long. It is appropriate to do it for 10-20 minutes each time according to your physical ability. You need to warm up before jumping and move your joints. Don't sit down immediately after skipping rope. You should walk at a slower speed for a while to let your body slowly relax.

If you experience any cardiopulmonary discomfort during exercise, you should end the exercise as soon as possible, rest, and seek medical attention.

The popular science content of this platform has been funded by the China Association for Science and Technology's Science Popularization Department's 2022 National Science Literacy Action Project "National Society Science Popularization Capacity Improvement Project-Rehabilitation Science Popularization Service Capacity Improvement Action Plan"