CrossFit enthusiasts are likely well acquainted with the benefits of jumping rope. But if you were in elementary school the last time that you jumped rope, you might want to reconsider and give it another try. It seems simple—and maybe it is!—but there are so many benefits that you can experience when you incorporate some rope-jumping into your life on a regular basis. And don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything fancy … unless you really want to, of course. Here’s everything you need to know about why you should start jumping rope.
Physical benefits of jumping rope
As you probably already know, jumping rope is good for your body. Here’s why:
It’s good cardiovascular exercise
Remember “Jump Rope for Heart”? There’s a reason that we associate jumping rope with good heart health. It’s not that jumping rope is magic, in and of itself. But it’s a good opportunity to get in some aerobic exercise that your body needs. “It’s just about a way to get you moving,” says Dr. Michael Emery, MD, a sports cardiologist with the Cleveland Clinic. “More moving equals less sitting. That’s the cardiovascular benefit that you gain.”
It’s a full-body workout
You’re working your shoulders and arms when you turn the rope, and you’re engaging your core at the same time. “And you’re definitely using your legs, of course, since that’s what’s doing the actual jumping,” says Kyle Kercher, an associate professor at Indiana University and an exercise physiologist and personal trainer certified by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
It improves your bone density
Someresearch suggests that sets of jumping exercises may build bone mass and bone strength. And it might not be as much as you think it is, either. In fact, one 2015 study found that women who jumped 10-20 times, twice a day, with intervals between their jumps, increased their hip bone mineral density.
It can increase your agility
You can find a whole slew of videos on YouTube that promise to help you improve your agility with a specific jump rope workout. The idea is that you have to coordinate several different movements at once, engaging your brain and your body.
Additional benefits of jumping rope
Jumping rope can add some variety to your usual workout, and there are some other benefits, too.
It can decrease your stress levels and improve your mental health
A few minutes of jumping rope will help you build strength and endurance, true, but it’s also good for your mood. Aerobic exercise can lower your stress levels and help feel calmer by reducing your body’s production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. When you exercise, your body also produces more endorphins, those feel-good chemicals that improve your mood and help you relax.
It’s easy and portable
You can jump rope at home. You can also stash a jump rope in your suitcase and take it with you on your next trip. In fact, you can jump rope just about anywhere with a little bit of open space. You don’t have to learn how to use an intimidating new piece of equipment or buy an expensive piece of equipment that you might use … or you might not.
It’s not boring
Okay, so this benefit may be one of the more subjective ones. And if all you ever do is jump rope in the same way at the same pace for the same amount of time, yeah, it might get a little boring. But you can boost the intensity of your jump rope workout anytime that you feel you need to change things up, says Dr. Emery.Plus, you can vary your actual jumping, perhaps alternating between feet or shifting from side to side, suggests Kercher. You can even do interval training with a jump rope.
A few things to keep in mind
If the idea of jumping rope has started sounding appealing to you, here are a few things to remember before you jump right in (see what we did there?):
Use a rope that fits you
It’s important to start out slow and build up
Are you of those people who like to throw themselves into every new activity at top speed? Maybe don’t do that with this particular activity. People who have been sedentary can increase their risk of experiencing a cardiac event if they try to ramp up too quickly, according to Dr. Emery.
Choose a speed that works for you
Ever watched someone who jumps rope so fast that the rope itself is a whizzing blur in the air around them? You don’t have to do that to reap the benefits of jumping rope. “You can go at a pace that’s comfortable for you,” says Kercher.
Watch out for injuries
You do have to be careful when you’re jumping rope, particularly if you’re prone to certain kinds of injuries. For example, if you’re prone to shin splints, all the pounding that your legs take during a jump-rope session could be aggravating.
Don’t give up
As with many activities that you want to learn, jumping rope may or may not come easily to you. But don’t give up until you give it a chance. “The only way to polish your skills is to simply get started,” says Thomas Roe, a personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and founder of Local Moves Studio in Los Angeles and San Antonio. “Yup, if you find it challenging, keep at it. All too often, we as humans trash something too quick if it’s hard. Jumping rope requires patience, like learning a musical instrument or foreign language.” Next up: Intrigued By Amanda Kloots’ Jump Rope Class? Try These 11 Trainer-Approved Jump Rope Workouts Today
Sources:
Being Active When You Have Depression and Anxiety. American College of Sports Medicine.Effect of two jumping programs on hip bone mineral density in premenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Health Promotion.Michael Emery, MD, a sports cardiologist with the Cleveland Clinic.Exercising to Relax. Harvard Health Publishing.The effects of jumping exercise on bones. Clinical Calcium.Kyle Kercher, exercise physiologist and personal trainer.Thomas Roe, personal trainer.
