A Great Workout is just a Hop, Skip & a Jump away

People over 30 are known to wax proud about how 'when they were kids' there was no risk of obesity because they used to actually go outside and 'play'.  Well no wonder pipsqueaks used to be in such fine and fit fettle... Kids' games are tough!


Here are the Wikipediatrics on 2 perennial kid faves:


SKIPPING ROPE

The exact origin of jumping rope is unclear; however, jump rope dates back all the way to the Egyptians and aborigines of Australia. The first jump ropes are said to be made of bamboo and vines found in jungles. Jumping along with these items led to what what is today referred to as jump roping. Some say it originated in China, while Western versions are said to have originated around 1600 B.C. in Egypt. The first real evidence of jump rope as an activity is seen in medieval paintings. Children rolled hoops and jumped were some of the first to jump rope in America which brought about the variation of jump rope called “Double Dutch.” In the 1940s and 1950’s jump rope became the game of choice for inner city children because any one could play and it only required a rope. The 1970s brought an increased interest to jump rope as a way to achieve physical fitness and health. Since then, jump rope events and programs have emerged and jumping rope has become part of many different exercise training regimens.


Jumping Rope for Fitness

Jumping rope is an activity not only suited for competition or recreation, but also for a cardiovascular workout, similar to jogging or bicycle riding. This aerobic exercise can achieve a "burn rate" of up to 700 calories per hour of vigorous activity, with about 0.1 calories consumed per jump. Ten minutes of jumping rope is roughly the equivalent of running an eight-minute mile. Jumping rope for 15–20 minutes is enough to burn off the calories from a candy bar.

Jumping rope can avoid the knee damage which may occur during running, since the impact of each jump or step is absorbed by both legs. Jumping rope also helps strengthen the arms and shoulders. This combination of an aerobic workout and coordination-building footwork has made jumping rope a popular form of exercise for athletes, especially boxers and wrestlers. Individuals or groups can participate in the exercise, and learning proper jump rope technique is relatively simple compared to many other athletic activities. The exercise is also appropriate for a wide range of ages and fitness levels. Jumping rope is particularly effective in an aerobic routine combined with other activities, such as walking, biking, or running. Many badminton players and tennis players around the world jump rope to increase their endurance for competitions

Tricks & Techniques

Some of the styles that can be used when jumping rope include:

Basic jump

This is where both feet are slightly apart and jump at the same time over the rope. Beginners should master this technique first before moving onto more advanced techniques.

Alternate foot jump (speed step)

This style consists of using alternate feet to jump off the ground. This technique can be used to effectively double the number of skips per minute as compared to the above technique. This step is used for speed events.

Criss-cross

This method is similar to the basic jump with the only difference being that while jumping, the left hand goes to the right part of the body and vice versa for the right hand, with arms crossing in front of the body.

Side Swing

This is a basic technique where the rope passes the side of the skipper's body, without jumping it. Usually the skipper performs a basic jump after a side swing, or a criss-cross.

EB(front-back cross)

This is similar to the criss-cross except one arm crosses behind the back.

Double under

To perform a double under, the participant needs to jump up higher than usual while swinging the rope twice under his feet. It is possible to have the rope swing three times under the feet (triple under). In competitive jump rope, triples, quadruples ("quads"), and quintuples ("quins") are common.

Oooooh this is the one I want!

Toad

The toad is a more complicated trick where the jumper performs the "Cross" manoeuvre with one arm crossing under the opposite leg from the inside.

Crougar

The crougar is a trick where the jumper jumps in a normal open jump, but with one arm hooked under the same leg.

Awesome Annie

This is where the jumper alternates between a crougar and a toad without a jump inbetween.

Inverse toad

Similar to the toad, except the arm crosses the same leg from the outside (rather than the opposite leg from the inside).

Elephant

A cross between the inverse toad and the toad, where both arms cross under one leg, rather than one.

Frog/Donkey kick

This is a variation of a handstand, with a beginner version and an advanced version. In the beginner version, the jumper does a handstand, comes down and then pulls the rope under. In the advanced, the jumper pulls the rope while coming down from the handstand.

Combination jumps

There are many more difficult jump roping tricks that combine two or more of these techniques to make a single trick. These combinations can also be used in Chinese Wheel, Double Dutch, Egg Beater, triangle and Long Rope.

Other

Many other variations are possible, including: "skier", a side-to-side jump keeping the feet together; "bell", a front-and-back jump keeping the feet together; "scissors", a jump putting one foot forward and the other back, then switching back-and-forth; "jumping jack", a jump putting the feet apart and then together; and "can-can" a jump with one leg up and bent, followed by a jump with both feet on ground, followed by a jump kicking the foot out. The possibilities are endless, and many Grand National champions have routines consisting of tricks they made up.

HOPSCOTCH

There are apocryphal stories of hopscotch being invented by Romans or Chinese, but the first recorded reference to hopscotch dates back to 1677. In an entry of Poor Robin’s Almanack for that year, the game is referred to as "Scotch-hoppers." The entry states, "The time when schoolboys should play at Scotch-hoppers." The 1707 edition of Poor Robin’s Almanack includes the following phrase… "Lawyers and Physicians have little to do this month, so they may (if they will) play at Scotch-hoppers."

Since the game was known and popular in the seventeenth century, it is logical to assume that it existed at least a few decades (or perhaps even many centuries) before 1677. But no conclusive evidence has yet been presented to support this theory.

Etymology

The etymology of hopscotch is unclear. The journal of the British Archaeological Association, Volume 26 (dated March 9, 1870) states, "The sport of Hop-Scotch or Scotch-Hoppers is called in Yorkshire 'Hop-Score,' and in Suffolk 'Scotch Hobbies or Hobby,' from the boy who gets on the player's back whilst hopping or 'hicking,' as it is there termed; and in North Britain it is known as 'Peevers, Peeverels, and Pabats.'" Hopscotch was/is called Potsy in New York City.

Australian Hop Scotch

In Australia, hopscotch is played in stages. First stage is played by hopping per the standard rules. Once this stage is complete, the player is promoted to the next stage called jumps where the player jumps into each square with two feet. Final stage is the most difficult stage called sizzles, which is similar to jumps except the legs are crossed. The first player to complete all three stages wins. If a player touches a line, he is demoted to the start of his current stage. For younger players, helps can be used. These are lines typically extended at the sides between squares 2 and 3 so younger players can use these to get closer to throwing the tor into the required square.

International Championships

Australia is one of the few countries in the world to still hold a national hopscotch tournament each year, with the winners moving on to the International Hopscotch World Cup hosted every four years in England. Other participating countries include Canada, China, England, USA and Romania.

The International circuit is currently dominated by three champions; Lee Demetrious, Jim Smith and Elliott Willink. Lee has won gold at the last two world cups with Jim taking silver both times. Elliott is an up and coming hopper: with age on his side he is expected win gold in 2011. A recent sponsorship deal with TENA brand ladies incontinence pads makes Willink one of the first ever semi-professional hopscotch competitors. Jim was recently involved in a doping scandal. While there are no rules to ban performance enhancing drugs, other hoppers have called for such rules to be introduced after the last world cup.

Look for our post on HULA HOOPING coming soon

VIDEO LINKS:
How to Play Hopscotch
How to Jump Rope