THE STAR-Do you remember skipping or skipping rope when you were a kid?

If you are middle-aged like me, then you may remember to use hundreds of rubber bands together to weave a long skipping rope.

To make the rope stronger, we will use double straps, and to make it more beautiful, we will mix and match colors.

These days, if you often walk around in parks and open spaces, you may notice more and more people skipping rope for entertainment and exercise.

There are also many posts on social media about new techniques that skipping enthusiasts and celebrities are trying.

We are relived our childhood and indulged in activities that were once considered children's games, which must be related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, assuming your knee and ankle joints are healthy and painless, skipping rope is indeed a good tool to help you stay active.

It provides full-body cardio exercise, which can be high-intensity or low-intensity exercise, and can burn calories in a short period of time.

As an added benefit, it can improve hand-eye-foot coordination and help lose weight. According to the American Sports Commission (ACE), a person weighing 70 kg can burn up to 420 calories by skipping rope for 30 minutes.

You need to run 13.7 kilometers in the same time to burn the same number of calories!

The only problem, as some students told me, is that it takes time to coordinate so many body parts to swing the rope correctly.

Sports equipment has developed very fast since I was a child, and now there are many types of skipping ropes.

The rope material can be plastic, vinyl, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), leather, cotton or adjustable beads, and the handle can be designed with wood, plastic, etc.

The complex is even equipped with a fitness tracker, time setter and weight to increase intensity.

The handle is important, but using the correct type of rope or cable will make a difference when jumping.

Although there are plenty of online sites to buy these ropes, it is best to buy suitable “fitting” ropes from physical sporting goods stores.

A knowledgeable salesperson should be able to guide you on the best way to use skipping rope and whether you need special shoes.

If you are a beginner, speed should not be your goal, so longer ropes are ideal to allow less perfect timing.

To adjust the size of the rope, stand in the center of the rope with your feet together, and hold the handle with your arms close to your body.

Move your elbows outward and to the side until the rope is tight.

The length of the rope (not including the handle) should be just under your armpit. To get the perfect length, test the rope (check if you can do this in the store because there are different standard operating procedures for COVID-19).

If the rope keeps touching your feet, it is too short; if the rope drags on the ground and slows your motivation, it may be too long.

If you still dare not go out due to the pandemic, you can buy ropes online. Just increase your height by three feet and this length is enough.

If you plan to try skipping rope (do some warm-up exercises first!) after a long period of work stoppage, please review it quickly:

Stand up straight with your feet hips apart and heels roped. Tighten the abdominal muscles. Hold the handle loosely with your fingers. Do not use death grips that involve your palms, as this will make your knuckles white.

Letting go can make the rope rotate more naturally and efficiently. Your wrists and elbows should always be close to your body.

Use your hands to swing the rope over your head in one motion.

When you swing the rope forward, your wrist will also move up slightly so that the rope will fall between your ankles and knees.

Before you try to jump the rope, you may want to practice this action several times to see where the rope falls.

Once you have this movement, bend your knees, lift your feet slightly off the floor, and jump over the rope. Land on the ground with the soles of your feet and keep your body straight.

Again, practice a few times, and once you have mastered the trick, keep practicing. Many beginners make the mistake of raising their knees too high when skipping rope, which makes them feel tired.

Lift a little bit from the floor to jump over the rope.

If you prefer to try these moves first, then you can start with "shadow jumping" or "pretend jump" without ropes-boxers tend to use this method as a warm-up.

Yes, you look ridiculous, but this is a great way to practice jumping and correct posture.

Once you are satisfied with your "pretend" jump, join the rope and start with the 30 second set.

Rest for one minute before repeating. At the beginning you can try to do five sets at a time.

As you progress, you can add more groups, speed up the pace, and get creative.

Remember, it’s best to skip surfaces that allow you to land gently and cushion your joints, such as rubber mats or grass.

This means that hard surfaces, such as concrete or even carpets, are not ideal because they put a lot of pressure on the knee and ankle joints.

Safety Tip: Make sure that nothing around you can accidentally trip or fall.

The following are some common mistakes when skipping rope:

– Use arms instead of wrists. It's all about flicking the wrist. Your hands should be near the front of the pelvis. The elbow is assisted by small pumping movements combined with the work of the wrist. The only exception is when you swing the rope for the first time-this will require some arm movement. After that, the arm just stabilizes the wrist.

-Arch your back when jumping. Correct posture is essential to avoid injury. Unfortunately, too many people realize this is too late. Many jumpers tend to bend forward, roll their shoulders inward, and arch their backs to turn the rope over. You should jump straight up and down, just like on a trampoline.

-Jumping too high or kicking back with the heel. This is not a game of how high you can jump-you only need to be a few inches off the ground. The rope is not that thick, so there is no need to make a big leap, breathless. Keep jumps small and neat.

You will look good and feel good.