Jump rope workout: a beginner interval plan, and what skipping does
The short answer
A jump rope workout is one of the most intense forms of exercise you can do with a piece of equipment that fits in a jacket pocket.
Read the full answer
The 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities rates skipping at 8.3 METs at a slow pace and 11.8 METs at a moderate 100 to 120 skips a minute. The NHS lists skipping among vigorous activities, so 75 minutes a week can meet the aerobic guideline of the World Health Organization. A 2022 meta-analysis of 21 studies by Singh and colleagues found that jump rope training improved cardiorespiratory endurance, resting heart rate, body fat, leg strength and sprinting, with small to moderate effects, although most participants were under 18. The obstacle is skill and impact, not time: most beginners need frequent breaks at first. Start with intervals of 20 to 30 seconds, three times a week, and lengthen them over six weeks.
How long will your workout take?
Enter how long each effort and each break lasts, and how many efforts you do. You get the total time, warm-up included, and the time spent working hard.
Change the numbers with − and +, or type them in: the result updates instantly.
Your result
17.5 minutes
Total session
Your workout lasts 17.5 minutes, including 5 minutes of hard effort. To progress, add efforts from week to week rather than cutting the breaks.
- Time at high intensity
- 5 minutes
- Work to rest ratio
- 1 to 1
Add seconds or rounds from one week to the next, not both at once, while your calves and feet adapt.
How intense skipping is
The 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities lists these values:
- Rope jumping, slow, under 100 skips a minute: 8.3 METs.
- Moderate pace, 100 to 120 skips a minute, two-foot bounce: 11.8 METs.
- Fast pace, 120 to 160 skips a minute: 12.3 METs.
- Double unders, the rope passing twice per jump: 10.0 METs.
The World Health Organization counts 6 METs or more as vigorous. Even slow skipping is well above that line, which is why a few minutes leave you breathless. In practice, nobody skips non-stop at first: the effort comes in short bursts, which turns a rope session into interval training.
What the evidence shows
The meta-analysis by Singh and colleagues pooled 21 moderate to high quality studies with 1,021 participants, comparing jump rope training of 6 to 40 weeks with active or inactive controls. It found improvements in:
- cardiorespiratory endurance and resting heart rate;
- body mass index and fat mass;
- lower and upper body maximal strength, jumping and sprinting;
- range of motion.
It found no significant effect on blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, bone or lean mass, or muscle endurance. Eighteen of the 21 studies were in young people, so the results apply most directly to them; for adults, they are consistent with what is known about vigorous interval training.
Choosing a rope and a surface
- Length: stand on the middle of the rope; the handles should reach roughly to your armpits. Shorter ropes are faster but less forgiving.
- Type: a light plastic or beaded rope is easiest to learn with; a thin steel speed rope suits double unders later.
- Surface: wood, rubber gym flooring or a mat absorbs more than concrete or tiles.
- Shoes: cushioned trainers, laces tied, never barefoot on a hard floor.
The basic jump
- Hold the handles at hip height, elbows close to your sides.
- Turn the rope with the wrists, not the shoulders.
- Jump just high enough to clear the rope, a couple of centimetres.
- Land softly on the balls of your feet, knees slightly bent, heels barely touching.
- Look ahead, not down at your feet.
If the rope keeps catching, practise the rhythm without it: hold both handles in one hand, swing the rope at your side and jump each time it hits the floor.
A six-week interval plan
The calculator below gives the length of each session and the time spent skipping.
- Weeks 1 and 2: 10 rounds of 30 seconds skipping, 30 seconds rest, three times a week. Walk on the spot during the rests.
- Weeks 3 and 4: 10 rounds of 40 seconds skipping, 20 seconds rest.
- Weeks 5 and 6: 6 rounds of 2 minutes skipping, 1 minute rest, alternating basic jumps with alternate-foot steps.
Warm up for five minutes with marching, ankle circles and a few easy bounces, and finish with three minutes of walking and calf stretches. A rope also makes a good warm-up or conditioning round within a boxing workout, and it travels well: add five minutes to the hotel room workout.
How often to skip
Three sessions a week is a good start, with a rest day between them while your calves and feet adapt. Because skipping is vigorous, the World Health Organization's 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week is the relevant target, though at first your actual skipping time will be well below it; complete the week with walking or cycling. For the principles behind short, hard efforts, see our guide to interval training.
The rope does not replace strength training. The World Health Organization also recommends muscle-strengthening activity on two or more days a week.
Precautions
- Increase the volume gradually: add rounds or seconds week by week, not both at once.
- Stop if you feel sharp pain in the shin, ankle, Achilles tendon or foot, and rest until it settles.
- With a lot of body weight to carry, or sore knees, start with low-impact steps or alternate with cycling.
If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, joint or bone problems, or you have been inactive for a long time, ask your doctor before starting a vigorous programme such as skipping. Stop immediately if you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness.
Skip with your crew on Never Skip Club
A rope session is short, which makes it easy to fit in and easy to skip. Create your free account, build a guided session in a minute with the rope as warm-up, and start a crew of three to seven friends with a weekly rhythm: sessions of 30 minutes or more count, and the ranking rewards regularity, not extra sessions. If you want a coach to correct your technique or plan the progression, find a coach from our network, or sign in if you already have an account.
Questions
How many minutes of skipping a week meet the vigorous activity guideline?
The World Health Organization recommends 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity a week as an alternative to 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity, and the NHS lists skipping as vigorous. Seventy-five minutes of actual skipping a week therefore meets the minimum. Most beginners reach that only after several weeks, so count rope time together with brisk walking or cycling at first.
Is skipping rope bad for the knees?
Skipping involves hundreds of landings per session, so the knees need a gradual build-up. Keep the jumps low, land softly on the balls of the feet with the knees slightly bent, use a forgiving surface such as wood or a mat, and increase the volume gradually. If you already have knee pain or arthritis, ask a doctor or physiotherapist first, and consider cycling or swimming instead.
Does jump rope training build bone density in adults?
The 2022 meta-analysis of 21 studies by Singh and colleagues found no significant effect of jump rope training on bone mass, and most of its participants were young. It did find gains in endurance, body fat and leg strength. For bone health in adults, the NHS points to muscle-strengthening activities, which help maintain bone density, so keep two strength sessions a week alongside the rope.
Should a beginner choose a beaded rope or a thin speed rope?
Start with a light plastic or beaded rope. It turns a little more slowly and you can feel where it is, which makes the timing of each jump easier to learn. A thin steel speed rope suits later goals such as double unders, rated at 10.0 METs in the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities. Whatever the model, adjust the length so the handles reach your armpits.
Sources
- Singh et al.: jump rope training effects on health- and sport-related physical fitness, a meta-analysis (J Sports Sci, 2022)
- 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: sports, MET values for rope jumping
- NHS: physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64
- NHS: how to improve your strength and flexibility
- World Health Organization: physical activity, key facts
- World Health Organization: guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (2020)