You CAN get better at it! With practice. :-)
is a huge fan of simple, at-home workouts. She advises her clients to use water bottles instead of dumbbells or towels instead of gliders—anything, really, that makes it easier to get moving despite limited time and limited equipment.As Oprea wrote on Instagram, it's her favorite form of cardio. "Today I had an extra 15 minutes so I just pulled into a parking lot and got a couple steps in!! Fit it in when and where you can the whole world is my gym!!" she wrote.
"Jumping rope definitely does not come easily to all," Oprea adds. "But lots of practice is the key, and you will improve." She recommends that newbies don't try to reach for the sky just yet. "For me, the most important rule is to keep my jumps low to minimize the impact as I hit the ground. It's all about timing and keeping the jumps tiny." Instead of jumping each time like you're trying to make a slam dunk, think about keeping your feet just high enough to get over the rope. This will help with speed as well as timing—but feel free to keep things slow while you get in those practice jumps.
Arm placement is also important, Oprea says. Your elbows should stay close to your body at about waist height, and your forearms should be extended. Focus on turning the rope mostly with your wrists—your shoulders should stay pretty much in place the entire time. Aside from spending lots of time jumping up and down, Oprea offers some more equipment-specific advice for those who want to get better. "The number one way to jump better is to choose your rope according to your height," she says. She suggests