Man exercising with a Mirafit 3m Adjustable Ball Bearing Speed Rope

Skipping is one of the most effective forms of cardio.  

Not just for boxers, it’s great for anyone looking to get their heart rate up as well as burn off some energy.

It’s really convenient and will give you a great workout – wherever you are.  

Is skipping a good workout? 

If you have never used a Speed Rope before, you’ll be surprised at just how tiring they are. A few minutes’ fast skipping, and your heart will be reaching its max rate guaranteed. And keeping that up for 20 minutes to half an hour, is another thing entirely. 

So, they’re not just great for fat burning, but they’re also ideal for endurance training and general cardio work too.  

Here are some other benefits of using a skipping rope

Use them to warm up - skipping is really high intensity which makes it ideal for warm-ups. It gets your blood flowing and helps you to prepare your body whether that’s for doing Yoga or squats. 

They’re great cardio - if you’re someone who likes to go running, skipping is a great alternative. And the best thing about it is that you don’t need to wait for a treadmill, or you can just do it at home or at the local park. You don’t need to plan a route and you can still do it when it’s late – which can be a safer option when you train late at night. 

They’re fun - skipping is great for your mind too. You can vary your style and rhythm easily. And because you need to concentrate on getting yourself over the rope each time, it helps you stay focused. 

They’re great for coordination - skipping takes a fair amount of concentration. And when you start doing more complex styles such as double unders or crossovers, then you’ll be able to really work on your coordination. 

Skipping is weight bearing - this is great news for your bone health. And you can vary your style to change the impact depending on your fitness levels. 

They’re great for endurance - skipping for half an hour a few times a week is going to really help with your endurance. So, if you play a sport such as rugby, and want to up your cardio easily, then get yourself a rope and start training. 

They’re adjustable - our speed ropes are fully adjustable which means you can make them the exact right length for you. This is pretty crucial and will make life a lot easier when training. 

It’s so easy to incorporate jump rope work into your training. Plus, skipping ropes are so easy to carry around and store so you don’t need loads of room. And they make for a really effective workout too.  

Jump rope workout 

Below, we’ve put together a selection of 12 different jump rope exercises you can do at home or at the gym. Make your way through a few to warm up and keep things interesting. Or do all of them for a fantastic 30-minute workout.

• Single Under

• Crossovers

• Butt Kicks

• High Knees

• Scissor Step

• Side To Side

• Forward And Back

• Double Under

• Sprints

• Twist Jumps

• Heel-Toe

• Backwards Single Under

How long should you jump rope for? 

Man holding a Mirafit 3m Adjustable Ball Bearing Speed Rope

Skipping is a cardio exercise so how long you train for will depend on your current fitness levels.  

If you’re just starting out, little and often is your best approach. Try 5-10 minutes a day and gradually build up from there. 

As your endurance improves, you can start aiming for 20-minutes every other day. 

And if you already train, aim for around 30-minutes three times a week.  

You can also change it up, so you do 10-minutes low impact skipping as a warm-up before weight training or a class.

Is skipping better than running? 

Man holding a Mirafit 3m Adjustable Ball Bearing Speed Rope

Both skipping and running are great forms of cardio and each one has its own benefits. 

Skipping is

• Great for variation 

• Can be lower impact than running 

• A nice alternative to the treadmill 

• Good for coordination and focus 

• Can be done inside easily 

And running is great for

• Running scenic routes 

• Varying your speed 

• Can be really social 

• Jogging is also good for fat burning 

• You can vary the terrain e.g. sand, hills 

And if you’re really going for it, there’s no reason why you can’t do a bit of both! 

Jump rope workout variations 

If you’re looking to get a full-body workout when skipping, then it’s really easy to mix in some strengthening exercises on top.

So, you could do 2-3 minutes of skipping and then mix in some mat-based exercises, such as

• Sit-ups

• Leg raises 

• Back extensions 

• Push-ups

• Planks 

• Glute bridges 

• Mountain climbers 

• Burpees 

If you’d like to read more about how you can work out at home, check out our ultimate slam ball workout

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Tags: Equipment > Skipping Ropes ; Exercise Type > Cardio ; Misc > Workout