The last time

you jumped rope, Cinderella was probably dressed in yella, heading upstairs

to kiss her fella. Yep, she made a mistake, kissed a snake and how many

doctors did it take?

Then you and

your buddies were called to supper tuna-noodle casserole maybe, or chicken

pot pies. You rolled up your rope and carried it inside. The next day,

you'd gather in the driveway and start the rhymes and jumps all over again.

You may think

you're too old to jump now, that jumping rope is kid stuff.

Not so, not

so. Freddie Cox of Dallas is 56 and hadn't jumped rope since well, since

she and her buddies Diane, Linda Sue and Joanne did it together as pre-teens.

Now, though,

she spends 45 minutes just about every Wednesday evening taking a jump-rope

class.

"When

we were kids, we just jumped rope," Cox said. "We didn't do

things like 'walk the dog.' I was really shocked at what you can do. Rachel

might say, 'We're going to do side-swing, side-swing, double, double,

double.'"

Rachel is Rachel

Van Castle, jump rope aficionado and instructor of Cox's class. She credits

jumping rope with helping her lose the last 10 pounds after her baby was

born.

"I decided

to take my rope and go into the studio," she said. "It helped

me reclaim my body."

And once she

realized what a great workout it was, she wanted to share it. So she talked

to her supervisor and got the OK to teach a weekly class.

Her class is

part of a resurgence of jumping rope, which even includes a competitive

bracket. Plus, jumping rope is officially recognized as a sport by the

Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).

Besides convenience

(you can take a rope virtually anywhere) and economy (jump ropes cost

as little as a few bucks and rarely more than $20), benefits of the exercise

include the following:

Improving

cardiovascular endurance and performance. "After jumping rope, all

of a sudden, a spin class is like a walk in the park," Van Castle

said.

Strengthening

legs, especially after such moves as jumping on one leg and squatting

as the rope twirls.

Improving

coordination, speed and agility.

Toning upper

body muscles as well as muscles of the lower body. It also helps sculpt

abdominal muscles and reduce cellulite.

In addition,

it's a good calorie-burner. A 150-pound person who jumps 120 times per

minute can burn 10 calories per minute. That's 150 in a 15-minute workout.

(Which, truth to tell, goes by rather slowly the first few times).

"The misconception

has been that it's bad for your knees," said Van Castle, 30. "That's

not the case. Like any activity, when you use proper form and technique,

it can be totally safe. If you've had six knee surgeries, it's not the

thing to do. But a normal, healthy person can benefit."

Tips for getting

started

Interested

in starting a jump-rope routine? There is one caveat: Ten minutes of jumping

rope, if you're not used to it, can seem like several times that.

Here are tips

to get you on your way. They're from Rachel Van Castle, who teaches a

jump-rope class.

Stretch your

calves before and after the workout. Otherwise, the next day you might

have a hard time walking.

Wear cross-training

shoes.

Rope choice

is as personal as shoe choice. For instance, cable ropes those with a

plastic or nylon coating are lightweight, turn easily and are good for

speed, agility and cardiovascular strength. Beaded ropes those often used

in elementary schools are slightly weighted and good for beginners.

Jump on a

wooden deck, a padded floor or carpet with a short nap.

To determine

whether a rope is the right length, step on it with both feet. The handles

should reach your armpits. The more skilled you get, the shorter it can

be.

Start slowly,

even if you're in shape. Try for a minute or two initially, then rest

and stretch your calves.

Don't worry

about lifting your knees high; it can be a waste of energy. Ditto for

"double bouncing" as you jump.

Start with

a two-foot "boxer shuffle" in which your feet stay close to

the floor.

Keep your

elbows close to your sides as you turn the rope.

If you keep

tripping over the rope, try spinning your rope faster.

Make rope

jumping part of a fitness routine, not the whole routine.

For more information,

check out jumpropenet.com or usajrf.org (USA Jump Rope).

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