Movement

Centr Team

This jump rope workout is too good to skip

Want moves like Luke? Power up your training with a Centr jump rope.

The big benefits of jumping rope for fitness

Boxers do it. Basketballers do it. Even skateboarders are jumping rope. Why?

“When we jump rope we’re working on things like speed, timing, endurance, agility and staying light on your feet,” explains our very own boxing champ, Michael Olajide Jr.

Whether you’re purely training for fitness or to enhance your sporting performance, here’s a taste of what a trusty jump rope can do for you.

• Boost speed and coordination. The rhythm and timing required to keep the rope spinning demand and develop a high level of coordination. This is crucial for athletes in any sport where timing and rhythm play a key role.
• Improve lower-body strength. Regular skipping sessions work your legs, shins and the smaller stabilizing muscles around your ankles and feet. This strength is vital for athletes who rely on leg power and endurance.
• Build muscular endurance. The repetitive nature of jumping rope builds stamina – especially in the muscles of your lower body. This means that your muscles can handle longer periods of stress, which is beneficial in virtually any sport you can think of.

What does a jump rope workout target?

Make no mistake – a jump rope workout is a total-body workout. Let’s break down the primary areas you’ll be feeling the burn.

• Legs and glutes: Continuous jumping tones and strengthens your calves, quads and glutes.
• Core: Engaging your core while jumping rope helps with balance and maintains rhythm.
• Arms and shoulders: The rotational movement of the rope provides a good workout for your arms and shoulders, especially your forearms and deltoids.
• Heart and lungs: As a cardiovascular exercise, jump rope gets your heart rate up, challenges your lung capacity and improves heart health.

How many calories does jumping rope burn?

Like any exercise, the exact number of calories burned while skipping comes down to factors including your sex, age, body weight and composition, the intensity and quality of your workout and even the temperature.

Without knowing those details, we can’t give you an exact answer. As an estimate, you could burn between 200 and 600 calories in a 30-minute jump rope session – with the higher end requiring a constant fast jumping speed, without breaks.

Most smart watches have a jump rope mode which will estimate your calorie burn during the exercise based on your heart rate and motion tracking sensors. Just be aware that even these fitness trackers are not always accurate.

How long should you jump rope for?

The length of time you spend criss-crossing and doing double unders depends on your fitness goals.

For a quick warm-up or to spike your heart rate during active rest, a few minutes of jump rope might be enough.

If your aim is a challenging cardio workout, aiming for 15-20 minutes is ideal.

If you really want to maximize the benefits, try adding bodyweight exercises to your jump rope sessions. This combination offers more comprehensive and balanced training – as you will discover by joining Dan for a workout below.

The mix of jumping rope and dynamic bodyweight moves will also help to prevent muscle overuse.

Jump to it in this workout with Dan

Ready to rock your jump rope? Dan’s bringing the bounce in a session that mixes classic skipping with functional bodyweight moves to challenge your cardio while building lower-body strength and coordination.

This workout will be challenging for beginners, so take it at your pace and listen to your body.

Skip, squat and switch up your jump rope training with Dan’s Big Cardio Bounce workout.

Looking for more expert movement advice?

• 7 dumbbell exercises for an epic leg day at home
• What is functional exercise & why do you need it?
• 3 fallbacks for when you’re too busy to train regularly
• Recovery fundamentals: your ultimate guide
• 5 recovery tools Alexz uses to supercharge results