So I've gotten really into skipping lately, are there any other 3FCers jumping rope?

I've been following this routine from BodyRock.tv: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4IbIMkXrhc and holy. crap. I have never been so sweaty and red and exhausted. She makes it look easy - but after 15-20 mins, I'm dead.

If you do skip, how do you work it into your regimen? Is it your cardio, or something extra? Do you have any routines like what I've been doing? Have you relearned any of your tricks from grade school (I have!!)?

I haven't begun skipping but I'd like to increase my cardio. I'm planning on starting with 10 mins three times a week. I'm just apprehensive about the high impact thingy...

I did purchase a jump rope recently and plan to do that for my cardio and HIIT once the weather turns cold making it impossible to run outdoors. I'm sure you'll have to peel me off the floor the first few sessions since it's been like 30 years since I jumped rope, lol.

This may sound ridiculous, but I actually started "fake jump roping" a couple of weeks ago. I don't have room in my apartment to use an actual jump rope (and I'm sure my cats would complicate matters even if I did ). So I just do jump rope moves with my feet (ad libbing however I like) and mime a jump rope with my hands.

I feel a bit ridiculous and hubby laughs at me (in a nice way ), but adding this into my regular routine has gotten me through a plateau. I was doing strength training 4x/week (2 upper/2 lower) and cardio 2x (30-40 minutes). Two weeks ago I started adding in 15-20 minutes of "fake jump roping" after some of my strength training workouts and occasionally after my cardio videos as well, and I'm now down 2 more pounds.

Haha sumire - even using a real jump rope I get funny reactions from my roommates. Just adding those 15 minutes seems to have really made a difference so that's very encouraging to stick with it. I read your goal story a few weeks ago and your transformation is really inspiring, so if skipping is working for you, count me in!

fitmom - skipping came back to me really quickly. After maybe 6 days of skipping my tripping was really reduced. Now I only get caught in it maybe once every 200 jumps. It's annoying and used to frustrate me a lot in the beginning, but now it's easier to keep going.

fight2winthis - I read that once you practice a bit and you form improves, it can become a medium or low impact activity. I'm not exactly sure what good form is, but I try and emulate some of the boxer types I've watched on YouTube and it doesn't seem to be bothering my knees. My calves, however, are a different story. I typically feel it for two days after, not so badly that I can't skip again, but I'm definitely sore. Hopefully that's not a bad thing.

I totally jinxed myself - I stripped probably 25 times in 20 minutes last night!