To the windooooooowww to the wall.... But what about that floor?
Ok I know I know those aren't the lyrics. But seriously what about the floor? Surfaces are extremely important when it comes to jumping rope. We touched on this briefly in past articles BUT SERIOUSLY its important. Our knees, ankles and feet will thank us forever for jumping rope on a more desirable surface. We want the surface to act as a shock absorber and lessen the impact that our landings would usually have on our joints. Our bodies can help with this as well by using proper jumping form – stick to the balls of your toes, but finding the right surface will do you a WORLD of good.
Now what kind of surfaces would accomplish this? We are looking for surfaces that have a bit of spring to them. You can find this in the floors that are installed in gyms or areas specifically designated to working out (in Community Centers, hotels etc.). Don’t have a gym membership? Track turfs, rubber tracks or floors with some give to them are perfect. Jumping rope in an uncarpeted room of your house (space permitting) can work especially with it being winter outside (for some of us).
Have carpet in your home? I would avoid it if possible only because the rope will bounce and you will need to jump higher to compensate which jeopardizes your form. If you have a basement you will know that concrete floors are not ideal as you will increase joint stress and tire quickly.
Now if you have no choice but to jump on concrete or carpet do not worry! Try out a jump rope mat – we recommend this one:
If you don’t have a rope and are in desperate need of a good quality one – we recommend this one:
Ciao for now!
Charlotte Team Make It Fun NYC