Tim Haft is the founder of Punk Rope, a fun blend of recess and boot camp, comprised of segments that include rope-jumping, games, relay races and core training...

Tim Haft is an ACE-certified personal trainer, USA Track & Field coach, and member of USA Jump Rope and the NYC Coalition for Food and Fitness. After years of providing one-on-one training, Tim wanted to reach a larger audience so creating a group class seemed to be the logical next step. In 2024, Punk Rope, a unique blend of recess and boot camp, was born. The class is offered at two New York City YMCAs as well as at community centers around the nation.

Q: What is Punk Rope?

A: It's a blend of recess and boot camp, comprised of 15 segments. Activities, which typically range from 90 seconds to 3 minutes include rope-jumping, games, relay races, creative calisthenics, and core training.

Q: How did you start Punk Rope? Where did the idea come from?

A: The idea for Punk Rope was inspired by my venturing into the world of group fitness and finding that the offerings were limited. I found a range of class options like yoga, dance, and kickboxing, but there was nothing that really spoke to me. I also found that a lot of the people that were taking these classes were already pretty athletic. I rarely saw people who were more sedentary, you know the folks who view exercise as punishment. Basically I was trying to figure out how to come up with a fun, energetic, cool concept that would use different kinds of music to drive and attract people who were being left out of the mix. That was the basic inspiration. I came up with a combo of drills, exercises, and games that, in my brain, seemed to work.

Q: Ooh, that sounds like a lot of fun. So where can we Punk Rope?

A: There are about thirty-five classes running in 12 states from Maine to Arizona, In NYC, we offer classes at the YMCA in Greenpoint (Brooklyn) and Park Slope (Brooklyn) and are hoping to launch more soon.

Q: Most of those locations aren't so close to Harlem. Could someone start their own class?

A: Absolutely. If you're interested in starting a class, please contact me at tim@punkrope.com! By the way you don't necessarily need to be a fitness expert or work at a gym to start a class.

To contact Tim Haft, you can email him at tim@punkrope.com or visit www.punkrope.com for more information.

Read more from Tim Haft by clicking the links below:

• More Punk Rope!
• Rope-jumping benefits

Harlem Word is a series of interviews with Harlem health experts, written and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board.