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Exercise library / Rope Jumping

Rope Jumping

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

A more challenging exercise. Make it a goal if you like. “Show alternatives” below lists easier steps toward it.

Skipping rope. It raises your heart rate and trains rhythm and your calves.

Main focus
Cardio and endurance
Level
Building
Equipment
Other specialty equipment
Load
Free weight
Stability
Free: you control the whole movement
Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

Supportive shoes and a forgiving, non-slip surface.

How to do it

  1. Hold the handles at your hips with the rope behind your heels. Turn the rope mostly with your wrists.
  2. Jump just high enough to clear the rope, landing softly on the balls of your feet with your knees slightly bent.
  3. Keep a steady rhythm and relax your shoulders.

How much

To start: Begin with 5 to 10 minutes at an easy to moderate effort. Add a few minutes each week as it feels easy.

As it gets easier: Work toward 20 to 30 minutes at a moderate effort, building over weeks. Add intervals only after steady work feels easy.

How it should feel: Moderate effort means you are breathing harder but can still talk, and could not sing.

Make it easier

  • Practice the turn and a small hop without a rope.
  • Jump for 20 seconds, then rest.

Make it harder

  • Jump longer.
  • Alternate feet, like running.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Check that your equipment is in good condition and set up as it was made to be used.
More safety notes
  • Start much lighter or easier than you think you need to, and learn the movement first.
  • Warm up well, and build the number of repetitions and the height slowly over weeks.
  • Land softly with your knees slightly bent.
  • Rest between sets. Stop as soon as your form fades or you feel tired.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • The equipment shifts, slips or does not feel secure.
  • You feel pain in a foot, ankle, knee or hip when you land.
  • Your landing becomes heavy or uneven.

Other ways to do this movement

Sign in and we will show other ways to do this, with other equipment or at a different level, chosen from your own answers. Sign in

Where this comes from

General guidance on build-up, warm-up, breathing and listening to your body is from the NIA and the CDC. The steps were written by Fitafter50; the equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general practice and are approved as a set by the reviewer.

This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.