How many jump ropes should i do

At-home cardio workouts can be easier than you think—especially if you have a jump rope. A jump rope workout can be a fun and challenging way to get in your cardio when you have to stay in one place. Jumping rope can be a workout powerhouse, since it helps maintain—and improve—your cardiovascular fitness while strengthening your muscles to help reduce injury risk.

Jumping rope also helps build bone density, which guards against osteoporosis, fractures, and bone loss. Then take your workout to an impact-friendly surface—one with enough padding to help cushion your joints, she says.

And if you jump rope a lot, investing in a gym mat or rubber tiles to put over harsh surfaces like cement or concrete can help. Hardwood floor would be your next best option. Even with the best intentions—and mats—available, jumping rope can still be super noisy to those living below you, so if you do live in an apartment, you may want to avoid jumping early in the morning or late in the evening or take your workout outside, if you have the space.

As for choosing a rope, try one with a little heft. Length is crucial too. In general, lengths range from 7 to 10 feet. No matter what your jump rope workout looks like, there's no denying that this deceptively simple exercise can really put your heart and lungs to work.

Ultimately, how much you should jump rope every day depends on what sort of benefits you want. To get the best rope-skipping benefits for your health, aim to jump rope at a moderate intensity for at least half an hour, five days a week. If your goal is losing weight, you may need to do more. A cardiovascular workout like jumping rope can have serious benefits for your health , from reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease to improving your circulation and lung function, improving your cholesterol profile, regulating your blood sugar and insulin levels, and reducing inflammation.

It can even strengthen your immune system and act as a natural mood booster. To get this kind of health benefit, the U. Department of Health and Human Services HHS recommends getting at least minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio, every week. That works out to 15 to 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week, depending on your workout intensity.

That said, not everybody will have the coordination to do a continuous, intense jump rope workout. If you find yourself stopping to untangle the rope more often than you'd like, it's more practical to aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity rope jumping on most days.

The health benefits don't stop as soon as you cross that magical threshold of 75 to minutes of aerobic activity per week. In fact, the HHS makes it clear that more is better when it comes to aerobic activity. You'll see even more benefits if you can double that recommendation to minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week or minutes of vigorous cardio in the same time period. So even if you're a real jump rope aficionado, don't be afraid to cross-train by introducing other exercises to balance out the stress an extended jump rope workout puts on your body.

Some particularly good exercises you can combine with jumping rope include low-impact workouts, such as cycling, swimming or walking. You can also opt for rowing and aerobic dance classes, both of which work your body through a wider range of motion than jump roping does — and they're low impact too. Would you like even more proof that aerobic exercises like jumping rope are good for you? In a study that was published in an October issue of JAMA Cardiology , researchers followed more than , patients and found that cardiorespiratory fitness was inversely associated with long-term mortality.

Intermediate jump rope workout Here is a fun and relatively easy-to-remember-and-master workout that you can try when you are confident your calves, shins, and ankles can handle it. Do each of these variations for one minute separated by one minute of rest. Basic: Swing the rope over your head, jump as it passes under your feet, and then land evenly on both feet. Alternating Foot: Shift your weight onto your right foot and swing the rope over your head. Jump off your right foot as the rope passes under your feet and land on your right foot.

Then switch to land on your left foot. Keep doing this, alternating back and forth, left to right for one minute. Combo: Do the alternating foot version for five jumps on each foot and then do ten basic jumps.

High Knee: Similar to the alternating foot variation but now you raise each knee, up towards your chest, to a degree angle with each jump. Go Long: This is the big finish. Do any combination of the above that allows you to do a continuous jump interval of five minutes. If you have to take a break, make it brief and get back at it. Once you hit five minutes, you are done. Go stretch and foam roll especially your calves and shins and hit the showers!

Advanced jump rope workout Once you get comfortable with all these moves, doing this sequence can feel like dancing instead of a workout. This is a fun one especially for those of us who like to jump rope to music. Once you get comfortable with all these moves, doing this sequence can start to feel like dancing instead of a workout and we all know how enjoying your workout and using music can actually lower your level of perceived exertion and make a workout feel like play.

After a good full body warmup, do these moves for 20 reps or more each before moving on to the next one. It can be helpful to read about these exercises but seeing them can really drive it home.

Jumping rope is a great way to boost your heart rate, create some spring in your legs and of course burn some calories. Combining jump rope and dody weight exercises Ok, this is the ultimate in Jump Rope workouts.

This is when we alternate between jumping rope and doing other types of exercises. All you need for this combination of toning and cardio is a jump rope, an open area, and some energy to burn. Warm-up : start the way I outlined at the beginning of this article and then move on to one-to-two minutes of each of the following.

If you have it in you, you can do this all again for a maximum of three times through. Jump rope safety reminders Whether you are new to jumping or a jump rope veteran, here are some basic rules to keep in mind: Keep your elbows tucked in close to your hips or ribs.

Keep your hands around waist height. Keep the handles loose and easy in your grip. Keep your knees, hips and ankles soft and let them bend and flex on each landing. Unless you are doing a specific variation, keep your jumps low. Use your wrists as much as possible to swing the rope instead of your arms. Surface and location matter Stick to softer surfaces wood, dirt, or rubber these will protect your body and also make your rope last longer.

If you can stick to softer surfaces wood, dirt, or rubber these will protect your body and also give the added benefit of making your rope last longer.