Jump Rope Exercise Benefits You Probably Don’t Know But Should

October 12, 2019

Here’s a question: Did you know that jump rope exercise benefits include brain development and balance improvement? No? Well, it turns out there are more benefits from jumping rope you probably don’t know.

A recent study found that jumping rope is one of the most effective cardio exercises out there—and it can whip you into shape with just a few minutes a day of skipping. Secondly, it also helps that a jump rope/skipping rope which costs under N2000 can fit into almost any bag and improves cardiovascular fitness whilst toning muscle.

Thirdly, it doesn’t take too much skill, money or space to get a good rope workout in. Whether it’s your garage, a hotel, a park, or the back room of the office, you can almost guarantee that if you want to, you can make a good skipping session happen anywhere. It really is the perfect workout.

But you might be asking yourself why you should start jumping rope in the first place. Well, we have five (5) jump rope exercise benefits you need to know.

1. It helps burn calories

Since lots of muscles are being used at the same time, jumping rope is one of the few activities that provide benefits of a full-body workout in less than 15 minutes.

An article by Science Daily, states that jumping rope is an aerobic exercise and “can achieve a burn rate of up to 1,300 calories per hour of vigorous activity, with about 0.1 calories consumed per jump. Ten minutes of jumping rope can roughly be considered the equivalent of running an eight-minute mile.”

2. It increases bone density

Aside from incorporating food with high calcium content in your diet, one of the benefits of jumping rope is it increases bone density. The American Journal of Health Promotion confirmed in a study that regardless of age, jumping about 10 times, twice a day provides greater bone-building benefits than running.

3. Brain workout

According to the Jump Rope Institute, the health benefits of jumping rope aren’t just limited to outer body and appearance. Jumping helps enhance the development of our brain’s left and right hemisphere – improving our reading skills, memory, and mental awareness.

4. It’s cheap, portable, and versatile

It’s easy to incorporate jumping rope into your daily routine. Depending on time, it can be used as a warm-up or a workout on its own.

All you need is the jumping rope, open space and a flat surface that won’t ruin your rhythm and footing. The best part is simple routines are available on Pinterest and various health sites.

5. Strengthens muscles and improves the sense of balance

Once you’ve mastered the art, you’ll notice you’re lighter on your feet. Since it targets your calves, knees, and ankle joints, you’ll find yourself focusing on your footwork unconsciously, reducing incidents such as foot and ankle injuries.

Athletes that play sports such as basketball and football use jump rope exercises as training and skill reinforcement, as their sport requires great agility, explosiveness, and speed.

Keeping up a consistent pace is harder than it looks. One of the biggest benefits of jumping rope is that you can find – and follow – your own rhythm.

But please note!

Due to its mode of operation, there are conditions where jumping rope should be done with precaution or avoided completely. These include when;

You have heart problems. Do it only if your doctor gives you the green light.
You are recovering from a serious illness or surgery.
You have high blood pressure. Take your doctor’s opinion.
You have a bone injury.

We hope you already have your jump rope and trainers close by so you can get moving. And don’t forget to share your favourite workouts with us.