If you haven't jumped rope since your elementary school days, it's time to take a second look at this powerful exercise tool.
Jumping rope is an explosive form of cardiovascular exercise, and it's easy to get in a quick workout anywhere, even in the confined space of a hotel room or your living room says ACE Fitness. Jumping rope burns around 124 calories in just 10 minutes, and a high-intensity 10-minute rope-jumping workout is the equivalent of 30 minutes of jogging.
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You can burn around 124 calories jumping rope for 10 minutes if you weigh 155 pounds. The number of calories burned will be greater the more you weigh.
Rope-Jumping Technique
You should be shooting for about 120 RPMs, or two rope-jumps per second. This high-speed rope-jumping pushes your cardiovascular system to its limit, maximizing your workout when you only have a few minutes.
There are numerous advanced techniques you can employ when jumping rope to challenge your coordination and calorie burn, including side-to-side jumping, skipping rope, double-unders and high-knee jumps, says the Heart Foundation.
Jump Rope Calories
Compared with other exercises such as jogging, swimming or tennis, jumping rope burns a lot more calories per minute. According to Harvard Health Publishing, a 155-pound person will burn about 124 calories during a 10-minute session. A person weighing 185 pounds will burn 148 calories in 10 minutes and a 125-pound person will burn 100 calories for the same amount of time.
It's important to remember that calories burned depends on your weight, diet, metabolism and even how much sleep you had the night before. No two people are alike, so it's a good idea to match your jump-rope duration to your comfort level and fitness goals; a longer jump-rope workout will burn a lot more calories.
High-Intensity Jump-Rope Training
Jumping rope is a high-intensity exercise, which means you'll push your cardiovascular system and your muscles to their maximum for short durations. A 10-minute jump-rope workout at 120 RPMs is roughly equivalent to running an eight-minute mile, according to CalorieLab. This type of high-intensity exercise is ideal for calorie-burning and for building strength over time.
Adding rope jumping to a circuit training workout is an opportunity to burn even more calories. In between strength training stations jump for a minute or so. ACE Fitness suggests jumping for a steady two to three minutes after the circuits have been completed for an extra calorie burn.
Extra Jump-Rope Benefits
There are lots of other benefits to jumping rope that make it well worth your 10 minutes per day. Because jumping rope requires advanced coordination between your hands and feet, the activity stimulates both hemispheres of the brain and can help stimulate your mental awareness for the rest of the day.
A heightened awareness of your feet and ankles can also reduce your risk of injury during other activities, such as running. Finally, jumping rope can increase your bone density and muscle endurance, making it a great way to spend 10 minutes of your workout.