If you’re looking to burn a lot of calories in just a little bit of time, jumping rope for weight loss can be an option. It is one of the most effective forms of weight loss because it’s a full-body workout that can help you burn up to 10 calories per minute.
Jumping rope for weight loss is super easy to implement into your daily routine which is a huge plus. All you need is a rope and a solid surface (and hopefully no downstairs neighbors if you’re going to be jumping rope inside). While, essentially, you can use any old rope that’s long enough, you would benefit from a rope that’s specifically designed for exercise purposes. We’ll get into all of those details in a bit.
Jumping rope benefits
The benefits that come with jumping rope are quite similar to the benefits of every exercise! It’s amazing for heart, helps burn fat and makes bones and muscles stronger. Here are a few other benefits that you might like to know:
Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Jumping rope is a great way to improve coordination, agility, and stability by training your body to be “lighter” on your feet. It’s for this reason that martial artists, American Ninja Warriors, and professional athletes implement jumping rope into their exercise routine.
You can jump rope anywhere because it’s super portable and generally quiet (unless your rope is slapping the ground). Throw a jump rope in your car or backpack and you’ll never be without some exercise equipment! This will really come in handy if you want to break up a bike ride or warm-up before a sport.
Jumping rope increases lung capacity so you don’t run out of breath as quickly. The more efficiently you breathe, and your body learns processes oxygen, the better you can work out and the healthier you are.
You can tighten and tone your muscles particularly in your legs and abdomen. Your core keeps you nice and balanced, which comes in handy when you’re jumping up and down, so the more that it’s engaged the stronger it gets!
The low risk of injury is another great thing about jumping rope for weight loss rather than weightlifting, running, or fad dieting. If you’re doing it correctly, you should be only jumping a few inches off the ground in the same spot over and over again. Because jumping rope has a pretty minimal range of motion, there are less opportunities for you to get hurt.
It’s extremely efficient to use a jumping rope as your primary method of exercise for losing weight. The more you practice, the stronger and better you’ll be. And when your jumping rope speed increases, so does your rate of calorie burn.
Is jumping rope good for weight loss?
Alright, let’s get into some technicalities, shall we? Before you begin your jumping rope for weight loss journey, you need to know what it takes to start losing weight in the first place.
Experts agree that the number one way to burn fat fast is by creating a calorie deficit. In other words, this means that you need to burn more calories than you consume every day. The general rule of thumb is in order to lose one pound of fat a week, you have to create an environment in which you end up with a 500-1,000 calorie deficit per day.
You can create a calorie deficit with mindful eating and light exercises such as walking, regular daily activities, or yoga but throwing in small bursts of exercise like jumping rope will kick your calorie burning to the next level.
Because jumping rope burns approximately 10 calories per minute, you can burn an extra 200 calories with just 20 minutes if jumping rope per day. That’s an extra 1,400 calories per week! All in all, the answer is “yes.” Jumping rope is good for weight loss because it’s a super simple exercise that you can do pretty much anywhere, and most people even find it fun! If you enjoy jumping rope, there’s no one to say that you can’t create a killer jump rope routine that lasts even longer than 20 minutes.
How to jump rope for weight loss
Since you’re a serious rope-jumper now and you’re not doing double-dutch on the playground anymore (no judgement if you are), you should invest in a jump rope that was specifically designed for exercise purposes. They’re not too expensive and you can buy one at your local sporting goods or department store.
As far as jump ropes go, there are two that are appropriate for exercising:
Speed rope – these are the best ropes for beginners. They’re thin, lightweight, quiet and are great for doing more advanced jump rope exercises.
Weighted rope – weighted ropes allow you to burn more calories per session and tone more muscle. Once you’ve got the hang of jumping rope, it isn’t a bad idea to switch on over to a weighted one to give your routine an extra push.
After you’ve decided on the best jump rope for your journey, you can get right to jumping! Of course, you can stick to the traditional method of jumping up and down while you spin the rope up and over your body, but there are lots of different methods that are even better for burning calories that we’ll get to in a moment.
First, the important factors to jumping rope for weight loss are:
- Duration
- Speed
- Intensity
- Frequency
- Form
The form is probably the most important factor in jumping rope for weight loss. Although it is super easy, you have to make sure you get it right to avoid injury. Let’s break it down:
- Wear comfortable, non-slip, close-toed shoes. Take our word when we say that you aren’t going to be happy when a fast-swinging rope smacks you in the feet.
- Start with a handle in each hand while the rope is on the ground behind your feet.
- Bring your hands down to your waist
- Swing the rope over your head to the front of your body and jump a few inches as the rope passes underneath your feet, keeping your elbows in and your hands steady
- Keep your feet together and bend your knees slightly
- Land on both feet at the same time
- Repeat to your heart’s desire
It might not be a bad idea do just do one jump at a time, pausing in between each one, to make sure you’ve for the proper form down. Take it slow at first and them speed it up to whatever you’re comfortable with.
Once you’ve got you to form down to what you’re comfortable with, you can start to switch up your technique!
Jump rope variations
Using different variations of jumping rope exercises will make it more fun and have you burning calories at a higher rate. The harder a technique is for you to get the hang of, the more calories you’re going to burn, so stick with it and don’t give up!
Side-to-side jump: As you’re jumping up and down and swinging the rope over your head and under your feet, make ever so small jumps to the left and right after each time the rope passes underneath your feet. This exercise helps to activate a mind-body connection and burns more calories.
Single leg jump: This one is a real test of stability but in the end, it will only make you stronger. You can complete this exercise by jumping on one leg for an extended period of time OR by alternating legs each time the rope passes underneath your feet.
The double swing: This might be the hardest jump rope exercise so don’t get discouraged if you can’t do it right away. The double swing is completed by jumping high enough that you are able to quickly swing the rope underneath your feet twice before landing.
You can try this jumping rope workout for weight loss:
Jumping rope for weight loss is a tried and true method that you can do anywhere, at any fitness level, and at your own pace. Because it activates every muscle in the body as a full-body workout, you’re able to reap incredible benefits that only get better and better with each rope jumping session. Remember that the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to exercise in conjunction with healthy eating habits and stay consistent even after you’ve reached your weight loss goals. Now get out there with your jump rope and start your journey to a better you.
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xo,
Jane
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