jump rope workout · jump ropes · Skipping rope · skipping rope exercise · skipping rope workout · skipping ropes · Feb 11, 2022

15 Unique Benefits of Skipping Rope

by Priya Samuel

We all have fond memories of playing with a jump rope back in our growing years. But a skipping rope is more than just a fun and affordable way to exercise.

Some of the top skipping rope benefits include improved agility and coordination, weight loss, higher bone density, total body strengthening, better cardiovascular and mental health, and so much more.

It’s no wonder that hot-shot celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Kaley Cuoco, Padma Lakshmi, and Jennifer Garner all swear by the humble jump rope.

So without further ado, here are 15 unique skipping rope benefits that’ll make you want to get a skipping rope right now!

15 Skipping Rope Benefits

1. Efficient cardio workout

One of the best skipping rope benefits is that it gives you more bang for your cardio buck.

Jump rope is considered to be a vigorous-intensity activity. These activities are twice as efficient as moderate-intensity activities such as brisk walking, or cycling.

This means when you jump rope for one minute, you burn the same number of calories as you do when cycling for 2 minutes. (Now that’s efficient!)

Instead of a 30-minute brisk walk, you can just jump rope for 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week (along with a few muscle-strengthening exercises), and your cardio workout is sorted.

2. Blasts calories and aids in weight loss

Two amazing skipping rope benefits?

It gets your heart rate up super-fast (Think twice or thrice as fast as other exercises)
It torches an insane number of calories (300 -500 calories in 15 minutes, depending on the intensity)

Here’s an infographic showing how many calories a 100 lbs, 150 lbs, and 200 lbs person can burn while jumping rope for 20 minutes at different paces.

Wanna know how many calories you can burn by skipping rope? Just enter your details in this physical activity calorie counter.

The benefits of skipping rope for weight loss are plenty as it can help burn serious calories, shed belly fat, and also help sculpt your body, especially around your abs and trunk muscles. This is because you are constantly contracting your core during both the pushing up and landing phases of the exercise.

Jumping rope for around 30 minutes a day can be beneficial for weight loss. To know more about the benefits of skipping rope for weight loss, check our blog post here.

3. Boosts your cardiovascular health

Another amazing skipping rope benefit is that just 10-15 minutes of jump rope a day, 5 days a week, can do wonders for your cardiovascular health including

Reducing your blood pressure
Lowering your resting heart rate
Diminishing stress
Lowering your LDLs or bad cholesterol
Reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, etc.
Improving insulin sensitivity and lowering the risk of diabetes

4. Increases your bone density

Ever heard of impact-loading exercises? It’s a type of exercise comprising movements that expose your bones to load and thereby stimulate fast bone growth.

And jumping rope happens to be one of them.

Every time you jump rope, you make an impact with the ground that refashions your bones to become stronger, increasing your bone density.

This means you’re less likely to break a bone or develop osteoarthritis or osteoporosis as you get older.

Ladies (and gentlemen), please take note.

5. Strengthens your whole body

One of the top skipping rope benefits is that it can engage a whole bunch of muscle groups including calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, obliques, abs, shoulders, forearms, biceps, triceps, chest, and back muscles.

This is true, especially for a heavy (weighted) jumping rope where there is greater resistance and therefore more muscle engagement.

So the next time, you want a full-body workout, you know what to do.

6. Improves coordination

With every jump on your rope, you have to coordinate your eyes, hands, arms, torso, and legs. Yep, that’s a LOT of coordination.

Because you’re always moving in sync, skipping rope is an awesome training routine for sports such as boxing, football, hockey, etc.

Studies show that jumping rope even improves balance and basic motor skills in children.

Plus maintaining a steady jumping rhythm gives your brain a challenging workout too. Win-win!

7. Has a lower impact on your joints

Research shows that running can have up to twice the impact on the knees compared to skipping.

Hey, running is good too, but if you want to take it easy on your joints and still get a good cardio workout, nothing beats a jump rope.

8. Is great for your mental health

One of the best skipping rope exercise benefits is that it releases a ton of endorphins- happy hormones that can get you out of that lousy mood, and even lower anxiety, stress, and depression.

Skipping also has positive effects on your overall wellbeing including

Productivity,
sleep quality,
self-esteem,
and mental acuity

to name a few.

9. Is an excellent warm-up tool

Another excellent skipping rope benefit is that just a quick 3 to 5-minute burst on a jump rope will get your heart rate up, warm up your body and mind, and supercharge you for an explosive cardio or weight-training workout!

No surprise that boxers, runners, and athletes turn to the jump rope for their warm-up sessions.

10. Helps take your running to the next level

This is another surprising skipping rope benefit.

Both running and jump rope involve movement of the ankles, legs, and hips to create peak power. But with skipping, you get the added advantage of strengthening your glutes, which is a major factor in a runner reaching high speeds.

Skipping also makes your runs smoother by reducing the amount of energy your body needs to expend to move at a faster speed.

As per a 2020 study, it was found that people who added jump rope to their warm-up routine 2 to 4 times a week (weekly total of 10 to 20 minutes), improved their 3K time after 10 weeks.

11. Improves your flexibility and reduces foot injuries

Turns out Yoga isn’t the only way to get flexible.

As per a recent study, participants improved their flexibility after a 12-week jump-rope-based program that they took part in thrice a week for 45 minutes.

One of the prime skipping rope exercise benefits is that jump rope strengthens the muscles around your ankle joint and foot, thereby reducing the chances of injury to those parts.

12. Increases agility

Jump rope involves moving on the balls of your feet. This helps develop quick footwork, agility, speed, and power.

So if you’re into sports such as hockey, basketball volleyball, etc. where you have to change direction super-fast, the skipping rope exercise benefits are plenty.

13. Has a meditative effect

Cranking out 100 uninterrupted jumps on a skipping rope is no easy feat. Your mind and body have to be fully focused on one thing – to maintain a steady rhythm. And once you find your rhythm, you can just shut everything out – that looming deadline at work, your never-ending to-do list, and whatnot.

14. Is portable

It’s easy to lose track of your fitness goals when you’re traveling. But not with a skipping rope.

Pack them into your travel bag and you’re good to go.

15. Is fun and versatile

It can be tough to keep at your workout routine if it gets monotonous. And skipping is the perfect way to inject some fun into it.

Double unders, crisscrosses, side swings – there’s a LOT you can do with a jump rope, making it an extremely versatile piece of equipment.

How to add skipping rope to your workout routine

The coolest thing about a skipping rope? Plenty of ways you can use ’em!

1. Use it as a stand-alone workout tool

Just you and your jump rope. That’s all you need for a high-energy workout.

Don’t believe us? Check out some amazing beginner-style jump rope workouts right here.

2. Use it to warm-up

A 5-6 minute jump rope session is a great way to warm up your body before you hit the weights, run, or engage in sports including boxing, basketball, or football.

It’ll get your heart rate up, focus your mind for a challenging session, and can prep you for an explosive workout (thanks to the plyometric component of jumping).

If you really want to get your upper body muscles firing, a heavy weighted rope is the best way to go.

You could do 5 to 7 sets of jump rope with 1 minute-on and 30-seconds rest in between.

3. Add it to your strength training or HIIT routine

A jump rope can be a great addition to your HIIT routine. You could alternate between jumping rope and your fav bodyweight exercises including squats, push-ups, lunges, etc.

If you’re planning for a weight-training sesh, try adding skipping rope as the cardio element of your routine. Not only are you going to burn some major calories, but you’re also going to build muscle endurance.

You could do 1-3 minute intervals of skipping in between your resistance training sets.

4. Use it as a workout finisher

Want a kick-ass ending to your workout routine? Pick up a skipping rope and get jumping.

Try doing 3 sets of 1-minute jump intervals with 1-minute rest in between. During your rest periods, you could either swing your rope or walk around.

To know more about how you can add a skipping rope to your workout plan, check out the below video:

FAQS

1. What are the benefits of skipping rope daily?

Skipping rope has a host of benefits as mentioned above. But even if you enjoy skipping rope, it is not necessary to skip rope daily to reap the benefits. Jumping rope 3 to 5 times a week is good enough. If you do want to skip rope daily, we recommend keeping your sessions short and your intensity low.

2. What are the benefits of skipping rope for height?

Skipping rope can’t make you taller as your ossified and epiphyseal plates get sealed by the age of 18. However, jumping rope can help in correcting your posture by reversing the compression in your spine and stretching it out. This might give you about 1-2 inches of height increase if your posture was incorrect in the first place.

3. What are the benefits of skipping rope for legs?

Skipping rope targets and strengthens all your major leg muscles including your calves, hamstrings, quads, and glutes, and also enhances the elasticity of the surrounding tendons and fascia. A 2018 study also showed that skipping rope significantly improved leg strength and sprinting speed.