10 health benefits of jumping rope and helpful tips for beginners

1. 10 Health Benefits of Jumping rope and helpful tips for beginners

3. Jumping rope is one of the most underrated types of exercise and it may even be more effective than other forms of cardio.  In fact, a 2013 study found that college men who spent 10 minutes of jumping rope daily for six weeks improved their cardiovascular fitness just as much as college men who spent 30 minutes of jogging for the same time period.

4. Plus, jumping rope burns lots of calories, strengthens coordination and bone density, and can reduce your risk of injuries and heart disease. Here are 10 science-backed benefits of jumping rope:

5. 1. Burns calories: Jumping rope can burn 200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes. That is more than some other continuous cardio exercises.   "It burns more calories than any steady state cardio — from rowing or jogging to cycling and swimming," says celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels, creator of The Jillian Michaels Fitness App. Since most of your major muscle groups are working when you jump rope, the exercise is considered thermo genic — it creates a lot of heat in the body. Your body needs to burn more fuel to produce this energy, so it burns lots of calories.  

6. "You will notice quickly that if you jump rope for two minutes straight as a beginner, it will heavily challenge your cardiovascular capabilities," says personal trainer Morgan Rees. "Your heart rate will rise immediately and have to maintain the amount of energy produced for the muscles. This increases caloric burn as well as challenges the body's different energy systems."

7. 2. Improves coordination: Jumping rope requires top-notch coordination, especially as you advance to more skilled moves, such as quickly swinging the rope twice within each jump.  "Jump rope improves coordination by requiring several body parts to communicate in order to complete one movement," Rees says. "The feet must jump in time with the wrists rotating in order to create a continuous jumping motion." 

8. 3. Reduces injury risk : With your improved coordination from jumping rope, you'll be less likely to get hurt either during exercise or in day-to-day activities, Michaels says.  "Jumping rope forces you to coordinate your upper and lower body movements so you are more agile and your body awareness is improved tremendously," she says. "This makes you less injury prone."

9. 4. Improves heart health: Since jumping rope gets your heart pumping, it's great for your cardiovascular system and heart health. For example, jump roping can increase your V02 Max, the measure of the maximum amount of oxygen a person can utilize during exercise. The higher someone's VO2 max, the more cardiovascular endurance they have. 

10. 5. Strengthens bone density : Jumping rope can make your bones stronger. Bone density measures the strength of your bones — if you have more minerals, like calcium, in your bones, they are less fragile and less likely to break. A higher bone density can also reduce risk for osteoporosis later in life, particularly for girls and women. 

11. 6. Increases agility: Jumping rope helps keep you agile as you have to quickly jump up and down and adjust your body to the rope's swinging.  A 2020 study followed seniors doing agility-based training, which was at least as effective as traditional strength and balance training in affecting physical performance, especially lower body explosive strength. The agility work included numerous jumping exercises, similar to jumping rope.