Think you can’t get a workout challenging enough to take you to the next level in your own home? Think again. One of my favorite ways to get an effective fat loss workout in is with a piece of equipment that ways mere ounces, and cost less than $10, a jump rope.

While I was in Jamaica last spring I did 20 minutes of jump rope almost every day along with some bodyweight strength moves and I actually came back weighing less than when I went. Unheard of for me when it comes to vacation weight gain.

Even though jumping rope is a natural for interval training, believe it or not it can also be used for more traditional steady state cardio. I will often jump 30 minutes straight when I control my speed and jump height.

It is an unbelievable cardiovascular workout and it will improve your coordination and strength, as well as your overall endurance.

I was amazed to learn that jumping at an average of 145 jumps per minute burns the same amount of calories as running an 8 minute mile (once you get the technique down 145 jpm is not as hard as it sounds) and if done correctly has only about half the impact of running because you stay close to the ground.

It’s all in the technique. Here are some tips:

First, make sure your rope is the proper length. To check if your rope is right for you, simply stand on the center of the rope with your right foot and hold both handles in your right hand. When the rope is completely straight, the handles should be level with the top of your arm pit.

Now of course there is always a little room for adjusting. I have extra long arms so I jump with a rope slightly longer than the “correct” length. But this should get you in the ball park.

Next, try to jump straight up and no more than an inch of the ground. Bend your knees slightly upon impact. What I see most often is people taking huge 5 or 6 inch jumps off the ground for each turn. No wonder it seems like 30 or even 5 minutes is an impossibility, with that form, it is!

keep your arm movement in check– spin the rope by flicking the wrist rather than making big circles with your shoulders. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your elbows close to your side. This will prevent premature shoulder fatigue and it allows you to take lower jumps.

Find something to focus on and keep your eyes fixed there. I will often pick a knot on a tree, a spot on the wall or anything else I can stay focused on and stare at it for my entire jump. Once you start looking around you are bound to trip up.

Last thing, try to avoid the two-hop jump; trust me on this one, it’s easier to do a smooth one hop per jump than the school girl double hop. Think about it; one jump per rope turn or two, which do you think uses less energy?

With a little practice you’ll get it.

Now in the beginning you probably will be tripping up, out of breath and otherwise struggling, but if you want a do anywhere, super effective, body sculpting, cool looking workout to fit into your busy day, keep trying. It only takes a few sessions and you’ll be jumping like a pro.

I’ll post one of my double duty interval/ abs jump rope routines shortly.

Stay tuned!

Sarai Jones