BAM! Body and Mind
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Jump Rope Activity Card
jump rope expert If you think that jumping rope is just for girls, you haven't checked out Ben Raznick's power moves.

Who is Ben Raznick? Ben is 15 and a member of the Skip-It jump rope team in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado. He has been jumping competitively for over half his life, and boy, has it paid off!

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Upper and lower legs Heart and lungs Upper arms


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Every year, schools across the country participate in Jump Rope for Heart (JRFH), an activity to raise money to stop heart disease and stroke. JRFH has donated more than $327 million to the American Heart Association!

Speed, freestyle, single rope, and double dutch are all different ways to jump rope.

The 2001 11-under year old national champ jumped 304 times in one minute. Yikes — that's fast!



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Gear Up
A rope! Duh. But not all ropes are actually made of rope. Ropes come in cloth (regular rope), speed (skinny cord), beaded (plastic beads that CLACK when they hit the ground), and even electric.

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Play It Safe

Avoid spills — set the right length for your rope. To find out what that is, stand on the center of the cord and pull the handles up so they fit right under your arms. When you jump over the rope, the rope should just brush the floor under your feet. If it doesn't touch the floor, it's too short. If it hits the floor in front of your feet, it's too long.
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How To Play
Jump rope is just a fun game that girls play in their backyards or on the playground, right? NO WAY! Betcha didn't know that aside from being a great aerobic workout, jumpers of all ages can compete nationally in categories such as speed, freestyle, and double dutch, which is where two ropes are turned like an egg-beater by two turners, while one or two people jump within the moving ropes.

Rhyme Time. Check out these great jump rope rhymes, or make up your own.
  • Miss Mary Mack
  • Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
  • Red Hot Pepper
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