Jumping rope is an excellent way to burn calories and stay in shape, particularly for people who can’t get to the gym as often as they’d like.
What is Jumping Rope?
Jumping rope, also known as skipping rope, is a popular calisthenics exercise performed by one person that consists of jumping over a rope as it passes beneath your feet and back over your head. There are many different variations on this, including those that involve more than one person, different length ropes, and even specialized games or songs to accompany the action. However, concerning the health benefits of jumping rope, the individual practice of this exercise is the focus. Although the movement seems quite simple, it engages multiple muscle systems and is very effective at raising your heart rate. All of this leads to a surprising number of health benefits from this seemingly basic exercise. [1]
Jumping rope is an excellent way to burn calories and stay in shape. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Benefits of Jumping Rope
The most impressive benefits of jumping rope include the following:
- Improving your balance
- Increasing cognitive activity
- Protecting heart health
- Aiding in weight loss efforts
In the process of learning how to jump rope, you need to master your coordination in order to jump over the rope, especially more than 4 or 5 times in a row. This exercise requires focus and concentration, making it a mental exercise as well as a physical one. [2]
In terms of calorie-burning, it is exceptional, making it very valuable for those trying to lose weight or get in shape quickly. This easy-to-perform exercise is also portable and can be done anywhere. Finally, the repetitive impact of the exercise will induce your body to increase bone density in certain parts of the body, thus protecting you against osteoporosis as you age. As with any exercise, however, the jumping rope should be done in moderation. [3] [4]
How Many Calories Are Burned?
Depending on how quickly you rotate the rope around you, and thus how quickly you have to jump, will affect the intensity of the workout, so it is difficult to give an exact calorie-burning count for this exercise. However, a good estimate would be as following: [5]
- The average count is roughly 10-16 calories per minute.
- When you extend that to a longer workout, say a 10-minute session of jumping rope, you can burn 160 calories, which is basically equivalent to running a mile. Additional exertion and faster speeds will burn more calories, but generally speaking, any speed of jumping rope is extremely good for calorie-burning.
- 30 minutes of this exercise will burn nearly 500 calories!
Rules to Follow While Jumping Rope
There are a number of great tips to follow, particularly if you are a beginner when it comes to the jump rope.
- Wear the right shoes, comfortable and supportive, to absorb the repetitive impacts.
- Do this exercise in a room with a high ceiling, particularly as a beginner, when the rope will turn higher above your head.
- Stand in the middle of the rope; the handles should reach the middle of your armpits.
- Don’t jump too high, as this will exhaust you faster and increase your risk of injury.
Disadvantages of Jumping Rope
Despite the many advantages of jumping rope, there are some potential side effects associated with this exercise, including repetitive impact damage, a slow learning curve for some, and diminishing returns to the exercise.
- Repetitive Impact: Jumping up and down hundreds of times, especially if you do it every day, means a lot of impact on your toes, ankles, knees, and shins. If you overdo this exercise, you will definitely feel the muscle soreness, which could make it difficult to walk or exercise without discomfort or pain. [6]
- Learning Curve: Jumping rope is not the most intuitive exercise, and some people struggle to master the necessary coordination. In these cases, take it slow and don’t be frustrated. There is a learning curve to overcome for many people, but in the process, it can also be a frustrating experience.
- Diminishing Returns: Initially, a strong jump rope workout routine will show results quickly, such as improvement of certain muscles and weight loss – due to calorie-burning. However, as the body adapts to the exercise and the strain, you will need to increase the intensity or duration of the exercise to continue getting measurable results.
