Kim Kardashian West's new workout plan is the one thing in the Kardashian world you can probably afford: It's jumping rope.
Follow any of the sisters on Snapchat, and you're probably acquainted with their daily workout routines, usually involving Bosu balls, stretchy bands, lots of butt exercises, just as many selfies, and a (presumably pricey) trainer.
Unlike personal training sessions or trendy classes, jump ropes are super cheap and accessible; they're like $10 a pop, and that one piece of equipment is literally all you need. Some ropes have bells and whistles, like weighted ropes or handles, but to start you just need one that's lightweight and has an adjustable size so you can fit it to your height.
If you find most cardio boring and hard (which it totally can be), jump-roping's simplicity and effectiveness will surprise you — just a minute of jumping rope gets your heart rate up and actually makes you think about what you're doing with your body. In the Snap of Kim's jump-roping, she tells the camera, "You guys, I did an impressive jump rope move that made them excited. Now they can’t do it! Something I can do that they can’t!" Kimberly, you are impressive, but we're about to catch up with you. Ahead, some jump rope workouts anyone can do, plus a few tricks to add to your arsenal.
Figure out how to jump.
If you haven't touched a jump rope since elementary school, start without the rope and figure out the coordination of jumping first. It might feel wonky, but this video breaks it down.
Just walk.
Sustained jumping can take a lot out of you, so take breaks and just march in place, or use this as a warmup.
Try one foot at a time.
A "jogging" jump is a little easier than a two-footed hop, because you have more time before the rope comes down. It's a great way to work your way up to full-on jumping.
Do short sessions.
The beauty of jump-roping is that you only need a few minutes, tops. And it's especially important to keep sessions brief when you're first starting out. Start with 30 seconds of jumping, and add toe taps like this when you want to take it up a notch — don't worry about speed at first, this video is fast.
Use your music.
Catching the rhythm when you're jumpin' jumpin' will motivate you to find a steady pace, plus it makes jump-roping feel easier. Oh, and it's fun.
Add some bounce.
These five moves have more steps than just straight jumping, so it might be easier for you to find your rhythm and flow. The regular bounce, boxer skip, run in place, and high knees start at about the one-minute mark.
Mix it up.
Once you feel comfortable jumping with two feet, try lateral jumps, half-jacks, skiers, and high knees (starts around the 2-minute mark). These moves are still on two feet, but will keep things from getting boring.
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