Discover some amazing benefits of jumping rope and why you should add it to your fitness routine.

Ropes aren’t just made for tying knots and keeping things together. It’s also not a backyard or recess game restricted to just little girls. Even MMA fighters and boxers like Muhammad Ali and Manny Pacquiao take skipping rope seriously.

If you’re worried about body parts “jiggling”, don’t be. We all have areas in our body that need some toning and tightening. What’s most important is that we do something about it at all.

There are more benefits of jumping rope than just enjoying the rhythm and leaping around trying to see how long you can last without messing up. Ready to add this simple equipment for your next workout? Here are a couple of its best qualities:

Is Jump Rope Considered a Real Sport?

“I’ve found the best gym – I think the guy who owns it has forgotten more about fitness than most people will ever learn… the first day I went there, I asked him if he had any cardio machines, and he threw me a jump rope.” – Sarah Wayne Callies

The “issue” of whether or not cheerleading is a “real sport” also applies to jump rope.

Jump Rope foundations exist, but it’s not an Olympic Sport – yet. They do have national and international events, though. The World Jump Rope Federation has also been doing its part in promoting and bringing more attention to jump rope as a sport.

A sport is defined as “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” Sports don’t have strict age restrictions. As long as you’re still able to stand on your own two feet, nobody’s stopping you.

5 of The Best Benefits Of Jumping Rope

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.

In an article by Science Daily, it is stated 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 (see running quotes) an eight-minute mile.”

Skipping rope is also as effective as doing crunches to slowly gain a six-pack. For faster, more apparent results, pair it with other workout methods or sports. Skipping rope is also one easy method to tone up those arms and legs. So get those legs hopping and calories burning!

2. It increases bone density.

“The longer you wait, the more the jump rope becomes a big steel cable.” – Susan Messing

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

As we age, our bone density decreases, so we must find ways keep our bones strong.

3. Gives your brain a workout.

According to the Jump Rope Institute, the health benefits of jumping rope aren’t just limited to outer body and appearance; it helps our brains, too. 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.

“Those who don’t jump will never fly.”– Marcus Benson

Not sure where or how to start? It’s easy to incorporate this in your daily evening or morning routines. Depending on the availability of your time, it can be used as a warm-up, or is already a workout in itself.

All you really need is your rope, a clear area (outdoors, indoors or at the gym), and a flat surface that won’t ruin your rhythm and footing. There are plenty of workout guides for beginners on health sites and even Pinterest!

With just a jump rope and some determination, you’ll have no excuse as to why you can’t exercise for less than an hour – or 12 minutes to be exact.

Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can start joining jump rope communities, rather than just hopping around on your own. For more advanced, tech-savvy health enthusiasts, smart ropes that connect to phones have been invented.

You can pick your jumping style. There is more than one way to jump or skip. You can do it fast or slow, depending on your agility and stamina. There are also weighted ropes for those in search of more challenging routines.

5. It strengthens muscles and improves sense of balance.

“Jumping rope isn’t just for wannabe boxers. It’s a go-anywhere exercise that can help you prevent injury and increase your power, coordination, balance, agility, speed, quickness, cardiovascular fitness and explosiveness. Need we say more? “ – Mark Roozen

Once you’ve mastered the art, you’ll notice that 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.

Want to spice it up and have a bit more fun? Attempt to execute different tricks and alternate your speed.

Not feeling challenged enough with just one rope? Give double-dutch a try. It used to be one of my past times in grade school, especially during play time. Little did I know it was great practice for my hand-foot-eye coordination.

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.