Skipping Ropes and Speed Ropes

Skipping ropes: cardio equipment doesn't get much simpler or cheaper. Not only that, but the good old skipping rope is very effective, hence it is a favourite of athletes who need unstoppable cardiorespiratory fitness.

The skipping rope also has the following advantages:

Very portable (perfect for those who travel to keep up their fitness)
Requires very little space for exercising
Much kinder on the body than running (you push off and catch yourself on the balls or your feet, rather than landing the heel which creates much of the impact related problems with running)
Skipping gets your heart rate up very quickly, perfect for interval training
Skipping helps develop coordination and agility
More versatile than you might think - check out the video below!

Speed Ropes

Skipping ropes are made with many different sorts of materials and can be put together in different ways so you want to choose one that's going to suit your purpose.

The Speed Rope spins very quickly due to its "rope" being made of a thin wire encased in nylon, which will spin faster than plastic or leather ropes. A rope that spins faster means you can move faster, increasing the cardio training effect, and can perform double and triple-unders more easily (having the rope rotate under the body more than once per jump).

The Speed Rope is also designed so that it rotates very smoothly, making it very comfortable to use and it is more resistant to wear than plastic or leather ropes.

Skipping Rope/Speed Rope Tricks

While skipping is undoubtedly highly effective, jumping around on the spot for extended periods of time isn't very exciting. So, to increase the coordination demands and allow you to mix up your skipping training you can learn to do some tricks. Below are some guides to basic moves: