How Many Calories Does Jumping Rope Burn?

A question that I’ve been asked more than a few times is, “How many calories does jumping rope burn?” While it depends a little bit on your own weight and your level of intensity, jumping rope burns around 11 calories per minute on average. You’d have to run an eight-minute mile to burn more calories than that.

Due to its high intensity and high levels of calories burned, jumping rope is one of the best exercises to do to lose fat. If you crank up the intensity, it’s not unheard of to get up to 20 calories burned jumping rope, per minute. On top of jump rope’s fantastic cardio benefits, it also strengthens both the upper and lower body, contributing to that toned-muscle look that cardio exercise helps achieve.

Jump Rope, Anyone?

Jump rope is one of the only cardio exercises that you can do anywhere. You could do it in your hotel room, outside, in a gym, in your room, on the sidewalk, in your garage, the sky is really the limit. I mean, what other piece of cardio equipment can you fit in your briefcase? It’s advantages don’t just come from its small size, it’s also extremely cheap! Try finding a treadmill for $15.

Your Joints Will Thank You

Believe it or not, if jumping rope is done correctly, it’s actually less stressful on your joints than running. Make sure to stay high on the toes at all times, and avoid landing on your heels. If you do this, you’ll use your body’s natural shock absorbers and save yourself some grief in your elder-years.

Besides being a great exercise itself, jump roping skills transfer into many other athletic activities. Things like increased coordination, stamina, and endurance are benefits that any athlete can use to their advantage.

Where Do I Start?

If you’re just starting a jump rope routine, you’ll probably want to ease yourself into it slowly. Chances are you won’t be able to simply grab a rope and jump continuously for 15 minutes. Instead, try alternating periods of jump roping with periods of lower intensity exercise, like walking.

To start off with, try this routine:

Interval 1: 1 minute of jumping rope
Interval 2: 1 minute of marching on-the-spot

Repeat both steps 5 times.

Every week, add an extra interval of jumping rope and marching onto your routine. Once you’ve reached 20 minutes, go back to 10 minutes. Only this time, instead of doing 1 minute of jump rope and one minute of marching, do 90 seconds of jump rope, and 30 seconds of marching. Once again, increase the duration until you reach 20 minutes. If you’re looking for a real challenge, try to build your stamina up to the point where you can do it for 20 minutes straight.

The Most Effective Way To Use Jump Rope To Your Advantage 

Don’t just do jump rope as your sole form of cardio exercise. Alternate this with running, biking, rowing, and any other exercising you can. The key here is variety. The more variety, the less bored you’ll get, the more likely you are to stick to your exercise routine.