6 Benefits Of Jumping Rope

Jumping rope is an aerobic exercise with interesting health benefits. In addition to helping cardiovascular health care, it contributes to a healthy weight and strong muscles. You want to know more?

Jumping rope can evoke some moments from your childhood, but the truth is that it is one of the most complete cardiovascular exercises that you can practice. This simple activity, which seems like child’s play, helps to maintain good physical condition and endurance. 

In addition, it complements the effects of some sports or exercise routines. Best of all, you don’t need to go to the gym, or have machines, dumbbells or any other similar element to have good results. You just need a rope and the desire to move. What are its benefits?

Jumping rope: an aerobic exercise with health benefits

In general, the practice of aerobic exercise has positive effects on health. As research published in the World Journal of Cardiology details , doing it on a regular basis helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders such as obesity.

Jumping rope, in particular, offers you some advantages as a sporting activity. It’s easy to practice, it can be done from anywhere, it contributes to weight loss and, incidentally, it helps improve balance. In the following space we share in detail its main benefits.

1. Tone the muscles

When you jump rope you work all the muscles in your body, starting with the central muscle group, the upper ones and the lower ones. To keep the rope in constant motion, you use your upper biceps and trapeze. Also, due to the force of the jumps, the abs contract.

Meanwhile, lower body muscles such as the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves tighten and tone up. For this reason, jumping rope is an interesting activity to tone the body, while losing fat.

2. Improves cardiovascular health

The movement generated by jumping rope directly benefits the cardiovascular system. In fact, a recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that jumping rope exercise lowers the risk of cerebrovascular disease in young populations.

3. Increases lung capacity

When jumping rope, the lungs receive more air, which helps in the case of respiratory problems. Likewise, it is an exercise that increases physical resistance, thus reducing the feeling of suffocation in certain demanding activities.

The American Lung Association recommends jumping rope as one of the options to help the lungs function efficiently. Therefore, it is worth incorporating it as part of your daily exercise routine.

4. Helps burn calories

It is estimated that jumping rope for 30 minutes can help you lose up to 400 calories. Of course, it is difficult to jump that long during the exercise routine. However, just spending between 8 and 10 minutes already yields interesting benefits for weight loss. 

In addition, as detailed in a study published in the Jentashapir Journal of Cellular and Molecular Biology , this exercise reduces the risk of diseases associated with obesity.

5. Improves bone density

Jumping rope is an exercise that helps to strengthen bones, especially when practiced from an early age. According to research published in the journal PLoS One , jumping rope may help increase bone density in the lower extremities.

6. Avoid stress and improve brain activity

Although not scientifically proven, the coordination required to jump rope is said to create new neural connections. In general, as detailed in a review in Frontiers in Psychology, aerobic exercise helps increase endorphin release.

Therefore, jumping rope is a relaxing activity that can help mitigate the effects of stress and anxiety. Even its regular practice is associated with a greater state of well-being.

What should you keep in mind to jump rope?

Although jumping rope is an easy exercise, some precautions must be taken to avoid impact on the joints.

• Before starting, it is best to do some stretching. Start with soft jumps and short periods. Then you will be able to jump faster and for longer periods.
• If you are not in shape, it is normal for you to feel fatigued at first. The most advisable thing is that you increase the time little by little to gain more resistance.
• Another recommendation is that you combine jumping rope with a low intensity exercise routine. They can be aerobic or light weights; This will allow you to jump for longer periods.

Undoubtedly, this exercise is one of the best that you can incorporate into the routine you already have. Practicing it brings interesting benefits and, therefore, it has become one of the favorites of fitness lovers and athletes.