Jumping rope was a firm favorite in the playground when we were kids — but as an adult, picking up a jump rope might not be your first choice for exercise. Although we tend to associate adults jumping rope with boxers sweating in the gym (thank you, Rocky Balboa), it can be overlooked in favor of other cardio exercises, like jogging, swimming, and weight training.
With the unstoppable rise of home workouts, however, we think it’s time to give the classic jump rope another look. It’s a compact and cheap piece of equipment — with many jump ropes retailing for under $20, according to WebMD. You can use it anywhere, and it’s also got some huge health benefits. A hefty calorie burner, jumping rope can tone muscles all over your body, build stamina, and improve your health, among other awesome benefits (via Healthline).
But how exactly does jumping rope change your body? And if you’re doing it every day, what are the effects? In this deep dive, we’ll take a look at all things jump rope. Let’s hop to it!
Jumping rope will strengthen your legs
Given that jumping rope relies on the nature of jumping up and down many times to produce effects, it’s natural that your legs are going to be pretty heavily involved. And this is excellent news for their strength.
A 2018 study published in the Universal Journal of Educational Research found good evidence of this. Looking at two different groups, with one group participating in regular rope jumping over 10 weeks, the study found that the activity significantly improved leg strength and sprinting speed.
Jumping rope works your major leg muscles, engaging the calves, hamstrings, quads, and glutes (via Livestrong). Through a daily jump rope routine, expect all of these muscles to strengthen over time. It’s useful to bear in mind, though, that as jumping rope is predicated on, well, jumping, the legs are bearing the brunt of the exercise. Make sure you get yourself a quality pair of sneakers and, as with any exercise, keep an eye out for any pain or discomfort.
Your heart health will start to improve when you start jumping rope
When jumping rope, it’s easy to work up a sweat pretty quickly. You might be surprised at how much your heart rate can increase while jumping rope — especially if you’re trying it for the first time or haven’t done it since your younger years.
As it’s cardio exercise, it means that your heart works harder as you do it — which, if done regularly, can be excellent for your heart’s health (via Verywell Fit). As a study published in the Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology found when comparing the effects of jumping rope on collegiate males, a daily jump rope workout over 12 weeks can significantly improve your cardiovascular fitness.
The study also noted that improvements in cardiovascular health due to exercise (and in the study’s case, of course, jumping rope) can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and can also help to manage and reduce obesity. As such, incorporating a jump rope into your daily routine could be an excellent way to help safeguard against long-term cardiovascular illness.
Jump rope and your endurance will increase
Although jumping rope can cause even the fittest of people to get pretty out of breath, it’s worth sticking with — with one of the main reasons being that jumping rope can seriously increase your exercise endurance. This is confirmed by a 2013 study published in Sports Science, which looked at the effects of regular rope jumping over seven weeks. The study found that the test subjects, on completing the period of exercise, demonstrated an over 10 percent increase in cardiovascular endurance (measured through a series of running and sprint tests).
Muscular endurance also improves when jumping rope. A study conducted by the Asia University in Taiwan revealed that 10 weeks of jumping rope improved “dynamic muscular endurance; which [is] especially important for performing stable gestures and repetitive movements.”
So if you feel a little worn out after trying to jump rope the first few times, don’t get too disheartened. Keep at it, and through regular doses of it, your body will soon build the endurance to help you sustain the habit.