Why You Should Add Jumping Rope Into Your Workout Routine

On the playground, jumping rope was a crowd pleaser, but that somehow lost its fame as we aged. With the rise of jump rope inspiration on social media, this beloved child-friendly exercise is finding its way back into workout routines. While some trends may not always motivate someone to reach for a rope, there are plenty of other health benefits behind skipping your heart out.

Beyond the enjoyment factor, jumping rope is an excellent cardio exercise. In fact, one 2019 study found skipping can improve both cardiovascular, and physical fitness. This is because it's a high-intensity activity that gets the heart pumping quickly. However, what's also beneficial about skipping is that it may improve bone health (via Byrdie). "Jumping rope helps strengthen the bone density by strengthening the muscles around the bones, specifically the legs," assistant professor of sports medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Irvin Sulapas, shares with Prevention.

Jumping rope is also great for functional movement and strengthening fast twitch muscles (per Byrdie). These quick movements train the skeletal muscles, which regulate our ability to jump and run. Not only does skipping rope push you to jump fairly quickly over time, but it also teaches control and technique. "Jump roping takes a lot of coordination in a rhythmic cadence," Dr. Sulapas tells Prevention. As a result, it improves coordination, agility, and overall balance.

Incorporating jump rope into your daily workout routine can improve many aspects of your overall health. On top of improving physical fitness, muscular power, strength, and endurance, it's also a great warm-up exercise. According to a 2020 study, jump rope training can improve endurance in runners. When runners were asked to add jump roping into their warm-up routine for 10 weeks, their 3-km time-trial performance improved when compared to the control group. The study also noted improvements in jumping ability and foot-arch stiffness.

Plus, it's a portable piece of exercise equipment and allows you to be creative with your workouts (via Byrdie). Whether you're traveling, going to the gym, or completing an at-home workout — jumping rope is highly adaptable. Certified personal trainer, Timothy Lyman, points out that any gym session can be as easy or as hard as you need it to be with the one tool in order to see results (via Byrdie). In other words, if you're not looking for anything too challenging, jumping rope can be a great low-impact activity if proper form is used, according to Women's Health. 

While it's generally considered safe to skip your heart out daily (per Byrdie), this repetitive motion may wear on different parts of your body since the movement places stress on your lower body, according to Healthline. If you're feeling pain from jumping rope, incorporate recovery time, check your form, and speak to your doctor.