Jump rope doesn’t have to be a workout in and of itself. For some, jump rope is purely an exercise tool used for the warm-up before their main exercise program. The goal with any warm-up is to gradually build up the intensity to help physically and mentally prepare yourself for the main workout.

If you can do alternating steps or boxer steps, then it can be very easy to program a warm-up with a jump rope. Start out jumping at a pace of 60bpm focusing just on footwork. No swings or crosses. If you trip keep going. After a couple of minutes (or a whole song, if you can) up the pace to 70-75bpm. After 5 minutes you’ll be very well warmed up.

After your jump rope warm-up, remember to statically or dynamically stretch before moving on to the main workout. Hold each stretch for 8-10 seconds. Make sure all stretches are standing, so can keep your heart rate and blood pressure high from the warm-up prior.