Have you ever heard about international rope skipping competition? Don't be surprised that the participants are adults. Maybe they are the same age as you.

You probably played rope skipping when you were a kid, and never tried it again once you grew up, am I right? Well, I guess you have to rethink about using skipping rope again for the sake of exercise.

I don't mean to drive you to participate in a competition of rope skipping. But I want you to have fit and healthy body. Rope skipping is not just a child's game; it has so many advantages for everybody.

The American College of Sports Medicine has said that rope skipping is good for heart and lung fitness, flexibility and coordination. It's also good for building bones and trimming hips, thighs and backsides.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Council described rope skipping as an excellent cardiovascular exercise. They said, rope skipping is far less hard on the muscles and bones than jogging or running.

So, do you want to start playing your skipping rope again? Here are things you need to know about rope skipping:

How to choose a rope - This gear is important because its effect on your exercise. To make sure the skipping rope is the correct length with your height, check it by standing on the middle of your rope and pull the handles until it reach your armpit. If the handles are above your armpit, it will need shortening. Choose the thick and comfortable handles.

How to start - Hold your both rope's handles in one hand, then start to rotate in circular movement to your side. Once the rope reaches the ground, you jump. You don't need to jump so high. You only need to jump about an inch off the ground to keep impact on your knees and ankles as minimum as possible. This is part of timing practice. Once you have the right timing, start jumping over the rope.

How long you should do this - Start slowly for 20-30 seconds, and go faster for 30 seconds, and repeat it for 10 minutes. You can increase the time as you improve. Don't do it abruptly as it will hurt your leg muscles. Over two or three weeks, gradually increase your session time to let your leg muscles accustom to the extra exercise. To improve your heart and lung health, do rope skipping 12 to 20 minutes per hour every three to five times per week.

How many calories you burn - Rope skipping can help you burn calories as many as 70-110 kcal in a 10-minute exercise. However, it depends also on your weight and how keen you are to do it. If you are doing 10-minute moderate skipping, you'll burn 70 kcal, but if you are extremely energetic, you can eliminate 110 kcal. Boxers may burn up to 1300 kcal after one hour of rigorous activity of rope skipping.

How this exercise compares to others - When you are running at 6 miles per hour or cycling 12 miles per hour that is the same as doing rope skipping for about 130 revolutions per minute.

How the surface to jump on should be - Don't jump on hard surface because it may injure your legs. Better to jump on a cushioned surface, such as on a large rectangular carpet remnant. Choose well-cushioned athletic footwear.

How many styles there are - To get you more excited after doing your basic move, you may do different kinds of rope skipping such as found at Reebok Fitness website:

Jack Jump - do "jumping jacks" as you jump - one jump land with your legs apart, next jump land with them together

Jog Jump - alternate your feet in a jogging movement as you jump the rope

Skip Jump - hop on one foot and kick the other foot to the front (or behind) the body, alternate legs

Hop Jump - hop on one leg for several jumps, alternate legs (start with 2 per leg and increase as you improve)

Well, are you in shape now after doing your rope skipping? I hope so. Good luck!