In today's fast-paced world, most of us spend a sedentary lifestyle due to work-life obligations. The lack of movement makes this lifestyle extremely harmful to our health.
But who has the time to go running every morning or join a gym session at the end of the day? As a result, we end up facing tons of health problems throughout our life. But what if there was a quick exercise you could do at home to improve your overall health?
Jumping rope is that amazing exercise. The main reason behind its popularity is its flexibility. You can jump rope anywhere within a limited space and time. And you'll receive excellent exercise results.
However, if you are a beginner, you should consider its drawbacks too. Doing this exercise with an improper form can cause more harm to you than benefit.
Therefore, to give you a clear idea about this exercise, we've discussed the pros and cons of jumping rope in this article. So, let's dive in.
Jump Rope for Beginners- Which one is the best?
For achieving the benefits of jumping rope exercise, you need to choose a proper jump rope. This becomes more intimidating when you are a beginner.
Don't worry, just keep in mind the following points and you'll be able to find the right rope for you.
- First, you need to determine the length of rope you need. In general, the right rope for you will be three feet taller than you. So, if you are 5'5'' then get a rope that's 8' tall.
- Not sure about the length? Just get one with adjustable length.
- If you haven't jumped rope even once in your life, get a basic PVC rope. Or, buy a beaded rope. This has some weight so you can easily learn coordination and balance.
- Once you get comfortable with the basic rope, set your goal. If you want to lose weight, get a lightly weighted rope for increasing effectiveness.
- But if your goal is to build muscle, then choose a heavy jump rope. The added weight will give you the same benefits as weight training.
Pros And Cons Of Jumping Rope
Pros Of Jumping Rope
1. Weight Loss
Jumping rope is an aerobic exercise that engages lots of muscles in your body. It increases oxygen intake and breaks down calories. Higher intensity workouts result in higher calorie burning.
And calorie burning results in weight loss. However, how many calories you'll be burning also depends on your weight and body type. In general, 30 minutes of moderate-intensity jumping rope can burn up to 800 calories.
By increasing intensity, you can burn up to 1300 calories per hour. Regular jumping rope lowers body fat percentage which also helps in losing weight.
2. Affordable And Fun
Anyone can start jumping rope as it only requires a rope. And you can get a basic jumping rope for 10 dollars. After you've aced the basics, you can get professional ropes for 20-30 dollars.
Jumping rope is also a fun activity. You can include various combinations like crossover, high knee, double jump in your routine. Once you get the hang of it, you'll see that time flies when you are jumping rope.
This affordable and fun activity can be the start of anyone's fitness journey.
3. Portable
As the only thing you need for performing jumping rope is the rope, you can do jumping rope anywhere. At home within limited space, and even outside in the fresh air.
When you are traveling you can carry the lightweight rope with you. And enjoy jumping rope wherever you go.
This flexibility has made it popular as busy people can squeeze in 10 minutes jumping rope anywhere and any time of the day.
4. Increased Muscle Strength
Jumping rope mainly engages the muscles of our lower body. Your calf muscles gain strength with regular jumping rope. Moreover, the elasticity of the leg tendons increase. As a result, you can jump and run faster without the fear of injury.
5. Improved Lung Health
This aerobic exercise increases the capacity of your lung's oxygen intake. If you perform jumping rope for a few weeks, your oxygen consumption rate will increase.
That's not all, your lungs learn to expel the harmful carbon monoxide faster too. The combination of more oxygen consumption and faster monoxide expulsion keeps your lungs healthy.
6. Diabetes
High-intensity physical exercise like jumping rope helps lose weight. And being overweight is one of the most common reasons for getting type-2 diabetes. So, by engaging in jumping rope regularly you can avoid this disease.
Moreover, jumping rope can raise your insulin sensitivity. Therefore, this will also help keep your diabetes at a safe stage.
7. Releases Stress
After jumping rope for 20 minutes, you'll find that your mood has improved. You are feeling lighter and stress-free.
The reason behind this is that jumping rope encourages our pituitary gland to release endorphins. Endorphin is known as the stress-relieving and happy hormone.
So, jumping rope can release pent-up stress and make you feel happier.
Cons Of Jumping Rope
Now let's look at the cons of jumping rope.
1. Ground Impact
When you are jumping, your ankles and calves sustain the most impact. And research shows a single jump causes about 300lbs of stress to your joints. Therefore, too much jumping rope can lead to ankle and knee pain.
Also, if you are a beginner or starting jumping rope after a long break, trying to reach a high jump count will be dangerous. Because your muscles are not used to taking this much impact. So, you can end up causing injuries to ligaments.
2. Stalled Conditioning
If you do something repeatedly, your body will get used to it. The same thing happens when you jump rope every day for a long time.
As your body gets used to the speed and impact, the conditioning effects get somewhat stalled. So, you won't be seeing the fast results you were seeing at the beginning of your jumping rope journey.
3. Heart Problems
Jumping rope is a great form of cardiovascular exercise. However, as this exercise puts high pressure on your cardiovascular system, it can be harmful for you if you have pre-existing heart problems.
Tips And Precautions For Jump Roping
So, now you know both the advantages and disadvantages of jumping rope. The good thing is you can easily avoid the cons if you're careful.
Just follow the tips given below to avoid the risks of jumping rope. And enjoy the amazing benefits of this excellent form of exercise.
- First of all, buy a good quality rope. Cheap ropes can tear and cause you to trip more.
- Also, make sure the rope is the right size for you. Wrong-sized ropes lead to more accidents and injuries.
- Do some warm-up exercises before jumping rope. This will allow you to avoid muscle pain.
- Wear shock-absorbing socks and a good pair of training shoes. Otherwise, your feet will get sore.
- Ladies make sure to wear a high-impact sports bra while jumping rope. Speed roping can cause breast tissue injuries if you don't wear a bra that provides proper support.
- If you are a beginner, do not overdo jumping rope. Putting too much pressure when your body is not used to the exercise can lead to many health problems. So, go slow and jump rope a few minutes each day at the start.
- You can drink electrolyte water before and after jumping rope to sustain the body electrolyte level.
- Always maintain the proper form. Knees slightly bent, elbows tucked, and back straight. Also, don't jump too high if you have had previous joint injuries.
- Not all exercises are suitable for everybody. People who have arthritis or other joint problems should not engage in jumping rope as this will only increase their pain.
- Also, pregnant women, people suffering from asthma and heart disease should avoid this exercise.
Types Of Jumping Rope Exercises You Should Try
Jumping rope is one of the best-kept secrets of the fitness industry. Why? Because this one exercise can help you lose weight, tone muscles, increase endurance and strength.
Here are a few popular types of jumping rope exercises you can include in your routine.
1. Double Jump
If you like challenging yourself, try a double jump. This is one of the most demanding forms of jumping rope. In this routine, you have to pass the rope below your feet twice while you are airborne.
There are two ways of doing this. You need to swing the rope faster or jump higher than normal.
2. CrossOver
This is slightly trickier than the previous method. Jump rope a few times normally to establish a rhythm. Keep your body straight.
Now, at your elbow height cross your arms while you bring the rope downwards. This should create an X shape loop. You need to jump through this loop right when you cross your arms. Uncross the arms and repeat.
3. Single-Leg Jump
You will need precise balance and coordination to perform this type of jumping rope. For this one, you need to lift one leg with a bent knee. Then, swing the rope and jump with the other leg while not letting the raised leg touch the ground.
As this routine puts a lot of pressure on one leg, you should only do it a few times in a cycle. It is great for interval training.
4. Run Skips
It is what it sounds like. You jump rope while you run. Jog for a while then jump through the rope while going forward.
As you need to continue the forward motion, you'll need some space for this routine. If you have limited space, try running in circles while doing this.
Benefits Of Weighted Jumping Rope
Want to increase the effectiveness of your jumping rope exercise? Then get a weighted jump rope. Weighted jump ropes come with added weights in the handles or the rope itself. And this weight improves the quality of your exercise in many ways.
1. Easy To Learn
First of all, learning how to jump rope is easier with a weighted rope. The added weight allows you to perceive how the rope is rotating around your body. This gives you more control over the rope and improves balance.
2. Increased Shoulder Strength
Weighted ropes engage your back and shoulder muscles and build endurance in that area. As a result, the shoulder muscles start to get more defined. Jumping with one to one and a half pound ropes will increase your shoulder endurance too.
3. Improved Coordination & Footwork
Many sports require you to have faster footwork and excellent coordination. And weighted ropes are great for learning both. The weight allows you to time the jumps precisely. So, you can jump without tripping.
Moreover, practicing on a weighted jump rope also makes the transition to speed ropes easier.
4. Precise Control
The weighted ropes move at a slower speed than the normal ropes. By slowing down, you get more control over the rope. So, you can focus on getting your form right.
The precise control allows you to focus on keeping your elbows tucked, knees bent, and back straight. Concentrating on achieving the proper form is crucial for jumping rope.
When you ace all the basics, you get to enjoy the more advanced type of jumping rope routines too.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I Lose Weight By Jumping Rope?
Answer: Yes, jumping rope is a full-body exercise that burns calories. So, with regular jumping rope exercise, you can lose some weight.
2. Why Do My Ankles Hurt After Jumping Rope?
Answer: The reason behind your ankles hurting might be that you don’t wear padded shoes while jumping rope. Moreover, not having proper form and overdoing this exercise can lead to your joints hurting.
3. How Do I Include Jumping Rope In My HIIT Routine?
Answer: Raise the intensity of the jumping rope session by increasing your speed. Then take short breaks and continue in a high-intensity manner again. By following this, you can attain the benefits of HIIT by jumping rope.
4. Does Jumping Rope Help To Lose Belly Fat?
Answer: High-intensity workouts help in losing fat faster all over your body. But you can accelerate losing belly fat by engaging your core while jumping.
5. How Long Should I Engage In Jumping Rope Each Day?
Answer: For beginners, start with one minute of jumping rope each day. Increase the time as you get comfortable with the routine. However, you shouldn’t go beyond 20-25 minutes, or else you can end up injuring yourself.
6. Who Should Avoid Jumping Rope?
Answer: People who have suffered previous knee or ankle injuries should avoid jumping rope as it puts more pressure on their joints. Also, those suffering from arthritis, pregnant women, and heart patients should not engage in jumping rope.
Conclusion
Jumping rope is known for improving the overall health of a person. People love it because it provides identical benefits like jogging but in a much shorter time.
However, like every good thing, even jumping rope has some cons. Hopefully, our discussion on the pros and cons of jumping rope has cleared your doubts.
If you ask us, we think the pros of jumping rope far outweigh the cons. And if you take proper precautions, the results achieved will be worth it. Nonetheless, you should do what's suitable for you to get the best results and stay safe.