I sometimes like to jump rope as a warm-up before I lift weights. Also, occasionally as a quick way to sneak in some cardio when it’s raining, or I just don’t feel like leaving the house. For some people it’s their primary exercise. This is actually a good plan for general fitness, as the humble jump rope can get you results – fast!
Jump rope is one of the most efficient calorie burning exercises out there. A 200 lbs individual can burn 15+ calories per minute going at a moderate pace! That is more than jogging, walking, or even swimming. The question is, exactly how long should you jump rope for to get results? 10 mins per day? 30? 60? (Assuming your goal is fat loss). Let’s discuss it.
Depending on your goal, which is fat loss for most people. You should really do as much as possible, but jump rope is not that easy, to begin with. A very efficient calorie burning activity, jumping rope can burn 10 calories per minute even for a 125 lb person, far more for heavier people. So start with 10 mins per day, and aim to work your way up to 30 mins a day. Increase your daily workout by 5 mins a week until you get there. 30 mins a day will burn 300-600 calories, depending on your weight. and will result in a fat loss of 1 lb per week when eating at your required daily caloric intake. Even more fat can be lost if you are also eating at a caloric deficit. If you can do longer sessions, up to an hour most days will definitely be beneficial. But start with 10 minutes per day, and take it from there.
Is 10 minutes a day really enough to see results? What will those results be? Read on, and we’ll discuss a little further.
How Long Should I Jump Rope to Burn Belly Fat?
Sadly, as you probably know, you can’t spot train fat off your body. Wouldn’t it be awesome if it was possible?! A well known analogy is that of removing water from a pool with a ladle, or bucket. It doesn’t matter where you take it from, the water level drops evenly. This is the same with losing fat, so jumping rope will not remove belly fat any more than any other exercise.
It will, however, burn fat faster than many other types of cardio, and will melt it off your entire body at record pace if you eat properly for weight loss. Start at 10 mins and work up to 30 mins per day. If you really want to keep your metabolism revved to the max, try a morning and afternoon session. Do 10-20 mins upon waking, just get up, chug a glass of water, and go. Then when you get done with work and get home, do another session of 10-20 mins before dinner.
This is sure to keep your body burning calories all day and to reap maximum fat loss.
How Long Do You Have To Jump Rope To Lose Weight?
Any amount of jump rope will set you on the path to weight loss. Again, this is assuming your diet is under control. If you eat donuts and drink soda all day, doing 10 mins of jump rope may not make much of a difference. But if you are eating at or below your maintenance level of caloric intake, even a few minutes a day will quickly have a positive effect on your weight loss.
30 minutes of vigorous exercise, 5 times a week is the general rule for fat loss, and jumping rope is pretty vigorous no matter how you do it. After all, if you go too slow, it’ll mess up your rhythm and it will be impossible to keep jumping over the rope, because it’ll be moving too slow. The action itself necessitates a brisk pace to keep the rope circling you evenly.
If you can do 30 mins a day, this will be the upper end of how much I would do per day. If you can do more, and want to, knock yourself out! 60 mins a day will get you shredded very fast. If you weigh 200 lbs, jumping rope for 60 mins will burn at least 900 calories, which will translate into about 2 lbs a week fat loss. If you are eating 500 calories under your maintenance level each day, you should lose an additional 1 lb per week!
How Much Jump Roping Is Equal To Running A Mile?
Jumping rope is roughly equivalent to running between 5-7 mph, depending on your pace. This means that you’ll have effectively “run” a mile by the 8-12 minute mark. So, a jump rope workout of 10 minutes is a great place to start.
If you’re like me and you hate running, or maybe you live somewhere where it rains or snows a good bit, jumping rope is a really good alternative to going for a run. It is like a concentrated version of running, with most people able to jump rope at a faster rate than they would be able to run for an extended time like, say 30 mins.
Winter-proof, and more effective at burning calories, sounds like a win to me!
Is 10 Minutes of Jump Rope A Day Enough?
10 mins of jump rope has been shown to be equivalent to 30 mins of moderate paced running, and is enough to give your muscles a pump and your metabolism a bump! You can go steady for a full ten minutes, provided you have stretched and warmed up a little. Or you can try going as hard as you can for one minute, rest 30 seconds, then repeat for 10 sets to get an extra intense workout. Some people prefer to break their jump rope workouts down into sets to help ameliorate the burning in their calves!
Exactly How Long Should I Jump Rope for General Fitness?
If you’re happy with your weight and you simply want to maintain your level of fitness, 10 -15 minutes per day should be plenty. The calorie burn is not as relevant to you, although you are still using up a significant amount of energy this way. This will help you keep your weight and body fat percentage in check.
The important thing for maintaining general fitness levels is to use the muscle you have and get the heart rate up over 60% of your MHR (Maximum Heart Rate). You MHR is calculated by subtracting your age (in years) from 220. So for a 40 year old person, your MHR is 180 BPM (beats per minute). So your target heart rate is at least 108 BPM. This is enough to work up a good sweat and can easily be reached within the first couple of minutes with the jump rope.
Is It OK To Jump Rope Everyday?
Jump rope is a pretty harmless exercise for most healthy people. It is not as high impact as you might expect since you don’t actually jump very high. Nevertheless, you’ll want to be sure to wear good, lightweight running shoes.
While it is always good to have a dedicated rest day each week, 10-20 mins even if performed daily will not have any negative effect, provided you are healthy enough to jump rope to begin with.
Daily jump rope workouts are actually a great idea for anyone looking to lose fat or just stay in great shape. If you weigh 160 lbs, you will burn about 1000 calories extra per week in just 10 minutes per day. You will also get your heart rate up in the range in which you are training your cardiovascular system, as well as working your calves, quads, shoulders, and forearms quite well. All in just 10 mins a day!
How Much Is Too Much Jump Rope?
This is where you really need to pay attention to your body. If your knees, ankles, hips, wrists or feet start to hurt, back off of your workouts a bit. If you feel any discomfort during a jump rope workout, back off, and maybe stick to walking, or the elliptical machine. So listen to your body, and if something hurts, stop.
Many factors can influence your risk of injury or overtraining, particularly if you have a pre-existing injury. Things like your fitness level, weight, and age will partially determine how much jump rope you can, or should, really do. And as with all exercise programs, check with your doctor if you are unsure about whether you are healthy enough to embark on it.
Related Questions:
Is Cardio First Thing In The Morning Good?
While doing cardio at any time is a win as far as I’m concerned, doing it in the morning on an empty stomach is particularly beneficial for fat burning, potentially allowing you to reach your goals sooner. It will also energize you and help you prepare to face the day’s responsibilities. Getting your cardio done in the morning will also help you stay on track with healthy diet, as you will not want to undo the good you have already done in your AM fat-burning session. For a more complete discussion, check this out.
Can You Do Cardio On Leg Day?
If you don’t go too hard on the weights, it is OK to do a little cardio on leg day, although you should try to space them out a few hours at least. If you are a beast in the gym and love to do a lot of weight, for a lot of sets, you should hold off for a day or so after blasting your quads, hamstrings and calves in the weight room. If you are a casual lifter, it shouldn’t be a problem, but if your primary goal is building muscle, give them a rest and let your legs recover before doing anything other than the lightest cardio, i.e walking. For more info, see here.
