How to improve jump rope motivation if it dips

This seems like an obvious thing to say, but I love jump rope.

So, it might surprise you to know that sometimes I’m not motivated to get outside and practise (especially when the weather is bad, and all I want to do is curl up on the sofa with my dog!).

And I’m sure that you feel the same way, too, on occasions.

Staying consistent with jump rope is key to your improvement, and you know that, but it’s inevitable that you’ll have days where you just don’t feel like you can peel yourself off the sofa.

But, the best thing to do is just get out there; more often than not, I find that whatever funk I’m in lifts after a few minutes, and I end up feeling better about everything.

I know it's easy for me to say, “Just get out there”, though, so here are my top tips for improving motivation if it dips.

Plan ahead to boost jump rope motivation

If you know that tomorrow is going to be a super busy day, then pick your workout clothes before you go to bed, and lay them out. That way, they’ll already be ready and waiting for you when you need them.

It’ll give you one less thing to think about when you wake up or get home, and seeing your favourite kit all laid out ready to wear will give you the boost you need.

Stay motivated by focusing on fun jump rope skills

Maybe you’ve been struggling with some new skills or combos.

Or trying (and failing) to remember a new choreo.

It’s understandable that your motivation would dip in those scenarios.

But repeatedly trying to do something that isn’t quite clicking won’t help: you’ll get increasingly frustrated, it’ll start to feel like a chore, and you could risk injuring yourself if you’re getting fatigued and losing your form.

So, pick out some skills you enjoy and can do relatively well, and just focus on those for a little while. Mastering those less complex skills so that your form is absolutely spot-on will have a huge knock-on effect later down the line.

You might even find that you learn to combine some of those skills and create new choreos, which is great progress in itself!

End every jump rope session with a confidence boost

We all have days when things don’t go according to plan – yes, even me!

When that happens, try to wrap up the session with something you really enjoy, whether it’s a favourite skill, a fun drill, or a quick jump rope workout circuit.

Finishing on a high note means you’ll carry that positive energy into your next jump rope session.

Track your jump rope progress (in a way that’s right for you!)

A lot of people start out by measuring how many jumps they’re doing.

There’s nothing wrong with that. But you’ll reach a limit with the number of jumps you can do in a session; you’ll plateau, and then it’s natural for motivation to dip.

And there are so many other ways to measure jump rope progress:

• New tricks learned: Track each skill you master using the Skill Map on Fancy Feats.
• Consecutive skills: Set yourself a continuous skill challenge, like doing a certain number of crossovers in a row.
• Choreos: Measure how many moves you can combine into a short routine.
• Speed: Try counting how many jumps you can do in a set time.
• Jump rope workouts: There are a whole bunch of beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts on the Fancy Feats app. Start at the beginner level and work your way up – you’ll soon find that motivation is back.

Plus, of course, there are more subjective ways to measure your jump rope progress:

• Are you feeling more confident?
• Are you enjoying your sessions more?
• Do you feel fitter and able to jump more often?

Being able to answer “yes” to questions like this is a great way to give yourself a pat on the back for all your hard work so far and to boost your confidence and motivation for your next session.

Keep your jump rope motivation going strong

It’s completely normal to have days when motivation dips – even seasoned jumpers, like me, feel it sometimes.

The key is to find simple ways to make your jump rope training something you really look forward to: plan ahead, focus on the skills you love, finish your sessions on a high, and track your progress in ways that keep you excited to improve.

And remember: every time you pick up your rope, you're moving one step closer to your goals. Keep going – your jump rope journey is just getting started!