Jump roping several times a week can help you to increase your stamina and fitness. There are many different types of jump ropes on the market, so spend some time researching to find one that is right for you. Make sure you always perform a full body warm-up before you jump rope, since you will work many different muscles during the exercise.

Crossovers are a technique you can try to spice up your jump roping workout. To perform a crossover, while you are jumping rope with a standard swinging motion and lifting both feet at the same time, cross your arms in front of you and jump through the loop that you create. You may have difficulty performing this method at first, since the loop size will vary until you master the technique.

Try to always keep your upper body straight when you are doing a crossover. Once you are able to do crossovers on a consistent basis, you can increase the difficulty of the exercise by jumping off of one foot at a time. Try to increase the speed that you swing the rope as well, which will make the technique even more difficult.

Double jumps are one of the most demanding ways to jump rope, and will help you to increase the intensity of your workout. To perform a double jump, you must jump high enough in the air, or swing the rope fast enough, to get it under your feet two times while you are airborne. Many jumpers use the double jump technique as part of a regular routine, instead of constantly doing the movement many times in a row.

Alternating the leg that you jump off of is a technique you can try to spice up your routine. As you are jumping rope by lifting both feet off of the ground at the same time, change the movement by running in place, which is the same as alternating legs. Practice the technique for awhile, and then work in some crossovers and double jumps to make your routine more intense.

High knees jump roping is similar to alternating legs, except you lift your knees high in the air one at a time. This technique can be tiring, so try it for a few a seconds and then resume your normal jump roping movement. You will have to practice the high knees technique for awhile, to master how to control the pace that you swing the jump rope.

Run skips require some space, since you need to run and jump rope at the same time. To perform run skips, start jogging and then begin to jump rope without stopping your forward motion. You can also try running in large circles when you do run skips if you have a limited amount of space. Once you are performing the technique with ease, you can make run skips more difficult by working in some crossovers.