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Although your days of skipping rope on the playground are long over, jump ropes are a simple tool to carry in your gym bag for a quick and efficient calorie-burning workout to do at home or on the go. If you’re looking to update your cardio routine, try incorporating a few jump rope exercises into your workout to help you build your stamina and agility while meting a few layers of fat from your body to help you achieve a toned physique.

1) Single Leg Hop: For a great leg workout, jump up and down using only one leg for a full minute when skipping rope and alternate to the other leg for another minute for some serious leg sculpting. Make sure to land on your toes and not your heel to make your legs work harder. This will work out your calf muscle and give you better balance and stability.

2) Ski Jumps: Update a simple rope workout by doing a few sets of ski jumps. To do this exercise, jump side to side, alternating your landing from left to right when jumping like you’re carving snow on the slopes. Repeat for at least 30 seconds. This will intensify your cardio routine, working out both your thighs and calves. Once you’ve gotten the rhythm, increase your speed to a faster pace to burn more calories.

3) Jump Rope Lunges: Incorporate some lunges into your jump rope routine to get the best out of a simple workout. Instead of landing upright on both feet, try doing jumping lunges when skipping rope to challenge your legs. Start off by planting both feet firmly on the ground and jumping over the rope. When landing, go into a deep squat, with your right leg propped forward and the other knee almost touching the ground and alternating legs between jumps. Try not to straighten your legs when jumping between reps and to keep your form for a more intense workout. This exercise works out your butt and your quads to improve your shape and increase your stamina.

4) Side Rope Hops: For this exercise, you’ll need help from a couple of friends to do this routine. Have each friend take one end and stretch the rope and hold it at knee level. Then, standing sideways next to the rope, jump over to the other side of the rope, clenching both knees and legs together to gain as much height and momentum. Once you’ve landed, jump back and over the rope again and repeat this process, maintaining your speed and height throughout the workout. This will strengthen your endurance levels while helping you shed a few pounds.