You may not have picked one up since your elementary school days, but jump ropes have stood the test of time as a simple piece of cardio equipment for good reason. Even as an adult, you can gain solid benefits of jumping rope—all you have to do is add these jump rope workouts to your schedule.
While you won’t want to ditch a long run in favor of a jump rope circuit, this tool can spike your heart rate and boost your cardio fitness on days you can’t run or just want to mix it up.
“If you can’t get in your normal run, jumping rope is an awesome and really fun alternative,” says celebrity trainer Erin Oprea, who incorporates jump ropes into the routines of her clients, along with her own sweat sessions.
To learn all about the benefits of jump rope workouts, and which ones to try, here’s what the experts and the science say about this portable cardio tool.
The Benefits of Jump Rope Workouts
Updated: Mar 15, 2023 3:30 PM EST cardio exercises because it can be done nearly anywhere. “When I travel, I jump rope at my gate and in my hotel room,” she tells Runner’s World.
Another benefit? It works pretty much your entire body. “A jump rope workout is a full-body workout, from your calves to your mind,” says Amanda Kloots, This schoolyard staple gets your heart pumping and is a fun way to cross-train AK! Rope. “It builds your endurance, stamina, and coordination.”
seconds on left leg only quads, calves, For Oprea, jumping rope is one of her favorite upper body. Even though it might not feel the same as, say, a shoulder press, your shoulders, biceps, and triceps are all involved in handling the rope, Oprea says. In addition, your core and ankles—your stabilizing muscles—get a great workout as you jump.
Turning the rope—and making sure you don’t get your feet tangled up in it—also helps increase your coordination, and, like any cardio exercise that gets your blood pumping, it will help decrease your Shoes & Gear, too, Oprea explains.
Research backs up these benefits: One study published in 2015 found that jumping rope improved children’s balance Try These 3 Jump Rope Workouts to Improve Your Fitness another published in 2019 found that jumping rope regularly improved VO2 max (a marker of fitness level) after 12 weeks. Research Low-Impact Cardio Workouts for Runners bone density, likely due to dynamic loading or the high impact of jumping.
Perhaps most interesting for runners is that a meta analysis published in the Journal of Sports Sciences in 2021 found that jump rope training improved athletic performance in endurance runners, as shown by improvements in time trial performance, sprint performance, and running economy. All the more reason to jump around to enhance your overall fitness!
How to Choose a Jump Rope
One thing to note: finding the right rope for you is important. It’ll keep you from tripping over the rope and help you create a more consistent routine.
To find the right one, check that the jump rope you use is correct length for your height. With the handles held right at your armpits, it should just touch the floor. Or a good rule of thumb is to buy a jump rope that is three feet longer than your height, Oprea suggests. So if you are 5 feet 4 inches tall, buy one that it 8 feet 4 inches long.
The rope should also be the right weight for your skill level. If you’re brand new to jumping rope, skip the weighted options and focus on building up your technique first.
Finally, make sure your rope has grips that fit your hand, says Oprea, who has her own line of signature jump ropes minutes of jumping rope.
Anyone not new to jumping rope can up the challenge by picking up a weighted rope, but for this, Oprea suggests trying different weights of cables until you find one that is comfortable for you.
Best Jump Ropes 2023
3 Jump Rope Workouts for a Cardio Boost
On a day you can’t get a run in, or you want something to complement your current routine, Oprea suggests jumping rope for 15 to 20 minutes to get a good workout. If that seems daunting at first, you could split it up into two 10-minute sessions.
Try these jump rope workouts below to take the guesswork out of your sweat session and to mix up your current routine.
Full-Body Circuit
This workout created by Oprea can be done anywhere. It only requires a rope and your bodyweight, but it will spike your heart rate and work your biceps, triceps, quads, and abs.
- 2 who incorporates jump ropes into the routines of her clients, along with her own sweat sessions
- 20 push-ups
- 2 minutes of jumping rope
- 40 bodyweight squats
- 2 minutes of jumping rope
- 30 Another benefit? It works pretty much your entire body. A jump rope workout is a
- 2 minutes of jumping rope
- 15 reverse lunges on each leg
- 2 minutes of jumping rope
- 1 minute plank
- Repeat 2 times (once if you are just getting started)
Jump Rope Circuit
This jump rope circuit created by Oprea will get your heart pumping in a short amount of time—perfect for days you can’t run.
- 1 minute slow
- 1 minute fast
- 30 seconds on left leg only
- 30 seconds on right leg only
- 1 minute of moving feet in and out in a jumping-jack motion
- Repeat 3 times
4-Song Jump Rope Workout
By mixing up the moves in this circuit created by Kloots, you will work your coordination and stamina for a mind and body workout.
Warmup (1st Song, 6 minutes)
- 1 Crossrope Crossrope Get Lean
- 1 minute plank
- Repeat 3 times
Jump Rope for Coordination (2nd Song, 3 minutes)
- Incorporate moves like feet in and outs, jumping with heels tapping forward, skis, high knees, and butt kicks
Jump Rope for Endurance (3rd Song, 4-5 minutes)
- Workouts to Improve Your VO2 Max
Jump Rope for Stamina (4th Song, 2-3 minutes)
- Jump for 20 seconds at a regular tempo then 20 seconds as fast as you can—continue for the length of the song
