Learning the ropes

Play more with a jump rope and get fit in the process, writes Sajini Sahadevan

Aadya Magotra is on cloud nine these days. A newfound passion has led to 1m views and 3K followers on her Instagram page get_set_jump. Like everyone else, the 23-year-old was caught off guard by the lockdown last year but it helped her make a friend for life. We’re talking about the humble jump rope. “Yeah, I took my skipping rope along when my family planned a short trip out of town recently... it’s an inseparable part of my life now,” she says. While the jump rope is a plaything that features prominently in every girl’s childhood memory, it isn’t so for Aadya.

“Thanks to my upbringing and schooling, as a child I was always encouraged to take up new sports and had an opportunity to learn gymnastics, karate, badminton and swimming. But I had never really tried skipping, so I knew I had entered unknown territory,” she says recalling her initial days with the jump rope.

Aadya was studying in Mumbai when the lockdown was announced and the plan was to return from her home in Pune after two weeks, once it was lifted. “I was to join work in August. With the lockdown getting extended, I had a lot of time in hand. So I tried it all — jogging, yoga, workout videos on YouTube... I couldn’t go beyond a few push-ups,” she says. When an old nylon jump rope lying around the house caught her eye, she took it outdoors to try but all she managed were a few consecutive jumps. She ordered a new PVC rope and gave it another go. This time, she kept at it, a few minutes every day. “I found that my body and mind were now more in sync with the rope, unlike the first time.”

“Initially, I was so excited that I would post videos on my personal Instagram page. Then I felt guilty of spamming and decided to create a separate page to be a part of the global jump rope community and learn from fellow jump ropers around the world. I created this page to learn and to help other people learn,” she says. Aadya has religiously posted videos beginning with the basics to the many variations she has unlocked.

The lockdown allowed her to spend a lot of time studying videos. But after she joined an IT company as a sales specialist and consultant, Aadya now spends anywhere between a half-hour to 45 minutes in the evenings to jump rope. She also analyses her own sessions, noting the progress made, variations used (yes they have names), and always keeping the posts relatable. Her posts are very much like Aadya — grounded and fun.

In January, a video went viral, her inbox was soon flooded with messages and the number of followers for her page shot up. “I had put up a ‘Thank You’ post in December when I got 500 followers. But then this particular video was featured by Instagram on Reels and it got 1m views. It was a combination I had made using some tricks like the Step through Mic Release, Crosses, EB Side Swings etc.” Aadya had her own little celebrity moment when a neighbour recognised her from Instagram and asked if she could bring her two daughters to watch while she practised. Questions that pour into her message inbox include how one can get started, do's and don’ts of skipping, ways to avoid injuries, what kind of rope to use and more. “The general perception is that jumping rope is for children,” she notes. “The idea behind my page is to make skipping more popular, help people improve their mental and physical health and perceive fitness as a fun activity. Imagine, all it takes is a length of rope and some space. Thirty minutes of skipping is said to burn off 200-300 calories, 10 minutes of skipping is equal to 20-30 minutes of jogging, and anyone, irrespective of age or weight, can do it,” Aadya says, shooting off the benefits. She has lost 4-5 kilos since starting out and admits to feeling stronger, more flexible and lighter on her feet. “It has transformed me. I now have a time of my day dedicated to fitness.” Aadya has included strength training in her routine now — not without the jump rope of course. She now alternates between a PVC and a beaded jump rope. She warns that learning the ropes — literally, can be frustrating. “Give the body and mind time. With enough practice, it’s easily doable,” she believes.