jump rope
Just lose weight and keep going
© Standard / Shutterstock
Losing weight by jumping rope is relatively easy. But you can also simply use the rediscovered sports exercise to be active – without any pounds in the back of your mind. We’ll tell you the best exercises and great tips to get you started.
Anyone who wants to lose weight by jumping rope can count themselves lucky, because it can be done with just a few minutes a day. We will now tell you what you need to consider, what different jump variations there are and how best to start jumping rope.
Jump rope: lose weight the easy way
It sounds a little too good to be true. And yet it is true: Jumping rope for a few minutes a day is enough to do something good for your body, get your circulation and fat burning going and even lose some weight. But there is more that speaks for regular jump rope:
- Pretty much anyone can jump rope: It doesn’t matter what age you are, how athletic you are in general or how much space you have to do sports – jumping rope is always possible. (What you have to consider and when you should do without jumping rope, we tell you below in the text.*)
- Extensively equipped fitness studios are not necessary: You don’t need a lot of equipment to lose weight with jumping rope or to get moving at all. A skipping rope, a pair of good shoes with cushioning and a little space – that’s it. Depending on the nature of your floor, a sports mat may also be recommended to protect your joints and the nerves of your neighbors.
- Hardly any other sport is as effective as jumping rope: Did you know that jumping rope burns almost twice as many calories as jogging?! If you then use a rope that includes built-in weights, you’ve done some work on your arms and shoulders, too.
- Short training, big effect: Due to the high calorie consumption, lengthy training sessions with the skipping rope are not necessary. A few minutes a day are enough to achieve an effect.
- Cardio and strength training in one: Of course, you won’t get Arnold Schwarzenegger’s upper arms just by working out with a jump rope. Nevertheless: the shoulders and the core (i.e. abdominal and back muscles) in particular have to work to remain stable and upright – strength also plays a role.
- Jumping rope ensures an alert mind: Of course, to avoid getting your feet tangled in the rope, you also need to be mentally alert when jumping rope. Your concentration will also be trained while you physically lose weight by jumping rope.
Lose weight by jumping rope? That’s how it’s done
As always, if you want to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. Because jumping rope burns between 250 and 500 calories for ten minutes, jumping rope is a great way to lose weight. But be careful: How many calories you burn always depends on numerous factors (age, general fitness, weight, etc.) and is difficult to generalize. Nevertheless: For a similar calorie consumption – no matter how high it is individually – you would otherwise have to go jogging for a whole 30 minutes. And this is how you start:
- Warm up: First, start in one moderate paceto warm up. loosen your wrists and ankles; warm up your shoulders.
- After two or three minutes, increase the pace and watch out for one upright posture.
- Tighten your upper body; swing the rope from your wrists – keep your arms close to your body.
- If possible, switch between different jumpsto challenge your mind and coordination skills.
Who is jump rope ideal for?
As mentioned at the beginning, jumping rope is suitable for pretty much everyone – with a few exceptions. Only the following groups of people should refrain from doing this or at least consult a doctor beforehand:
- with joint problems
- with severe obesity
- with previous illnesses
For everyone else, depending on your fitness level, jumping rope is ideal for either
- get into active life
- to give some variety to the previous training
- initiate larger workouts with a jump rope warm-up
You should pay attention to this
There are only a few things to keep in mind so that you can enjoy jumping rope to the fullest. These are all the more important for this.
- Look for a suitable one underground. Asphalt should be taboo for you. Ideally, you train on a hall floor or something similar. Anyone who wants to jump at home should do it on a carpet or a thin one sports mat to attempt. Your joints will thank you.
- Matching sports shoes ensure a joint-gentle workout. Since you land almost exclusively on your forefoot when jumping rope, sports shoes with forefoot cushioning are particularly suitable.
- ropes with optional weights give you more training opportunities. In addition to so-called speed ropes, which, as their name suggests, allow particularly high speeds when jumping rope, there are also skipping ropes whose handles can be filled with additional weights. If necessary, this increases the demands on your arms and shoulders.
For a little variety: There are these jump variants
If you like to vary something and not just do “standard jumps”, different jumps (in combination) are suitable for a little variety. Depending on how confident you feel in regular, two-legged jumping, you can switch between these variants:
- cross jump: Cross your arms as you jump. Alternating between crossed arms and “normal” arms is best.
- double jump: Try swinging the rope around your body twice per jump. To do this, however, you have to gain a significant amount of height compared to the usual jump.
- alternating jump: Jump from one leg to the other for each round of rope.
- One-Legged Jump: Jump on one leg for a while, then switch to the other leg for the same amount of time.
Grab a jump rope and let’s go!