Jump Rope Exercise

A jump rope is small enough that it will fit in your suitcase, have one at work, and one in the car. Now that you have your shoes in all of these places, put a rope there too so that if you can't get out and walk or run, you could do a little rope jumping.

Here are a couple of tips for jumping rope and getting the most out of it.

• To avoid knee injuries, land softly on the balls of your feet
• Jump just enough - not too high - so you will land softly, not hard
• Use your wrists, not your arms to turn the rope
• Keep upper body movements to a minimum - shoulders relaxed, elbows in and slightly bent
• Keep the knees slightly bent, bouncing on the toes
• Wood, a sports court or a rubberized mat is best to jump on - do not jump on concrete

Start out gradually, slowly in 30-45 second intervals.