Fitness trend jumping rope: tips and tools for beginners

Fitness trend
Jumping rope: why indoor and outdoor workouts are more efficient than jogging

by Jan Sägert
October 19, 2021, 12:44 p.m.

When I think back to my childhood and what we spent the long break with in the school yard, the first thing that comes to mind is rubber twists and jumping rope. That was decades ago and I can’t remember the last time I had a jump rope in my hand. To do this, I observed women and men jumping over and over again during the corona lockdown and afterwards. In playgrounds, but also in the open-air fitness areas that are now available in many cities in Germany. Jumping rope has become a fitness trend in recent years. It is no longer just martial artists who use the practical sports equipment for their warm-up.

In this article you will find out why jumping rope is a time-saving, efficient and healthy alternative to jogging and what beginners should pay attention to when training.

Jumping rope for beginners: this is important

Above all, jumping rope is one thing: uncomplicated. The sports equipment itself, a pair of ordinary casual shoes, some space and a little bit of coordination. The fitness set-up for beginners is ready. Only newcomers to rope jumping should be wondering what to look out for when buying a jump rope. Well, basically, you can’t go wrong. As a rule, the handles of skipping ropes are connected to the rope via ball bearings. This has the advantage that you no longer have to work with your whole arm, but only with your wrist to make the rope vibrate. Good ropes can also be adjusted in length using a small screw, so that the whole family can try their hand at jumping rope. The rope itself consists of plastic-coated steel ropes or nylon. Some models are available in different thicknesses. The following rule applies: the thicker, the heavier. Beginners should keep their hands off ropes with a diameter of 50 millimeters at the beginning. A 25 millimeter thick rope is sufficient for moderate fitness training. To get used to training with a skipping rope, you can first use a ten millimeter thick rope, a so-called speed rope. Here is a Entry-level model from Cravallo available.

3 plus 1: What to look out for when buying

What is actually being trained in jumping rope?

First of all: jumping rope is a whole body workout. Not only the thigh and calf muscles are used, as one might assume at first. The torso, more precisely the torso stability, as well as the chest and arms benefit from regular rope skipping. However, building muscle tends to take second place when jumping rope. Rather, it’s about improving basic endurance. If you train properly and regularly, you can even do something for your weight. Because jumping rope not only brings variety to cardio training. Some calories are burned when you work out with the rope. Rope skipping could be an interesting alternative for fitness training in the park, especially for joggers and fair-weather runners. It works both indoors and outdoors, takes up hardly any space and takes significantly less time. A small portion of coordinative talent is required for this. In short: skipping rope requires not only physical, but also coordination skills. There’s one here Speed ​​rope with bag and guide for beginners.

Rope Skipping: Training Tips for Beginners

Instead of the continuous method, the most common type of training when jogging, the potential of jumping rope lies in interval training. Important: no cold start! In order to prevent injuries and to prepare the body for the following stress, you should plan a 10-minute warm-up. Loose jogging with gentle arm circles gets the circulation going.

Beginners should start with 60-second intervals. Specifically, this means: Jump at a moderate pace for one minute, then take a one-minute break. The whole thing five to ten times, depending on your fitness level. If you can do this two to three days a week, increase to an exercise time of two minutes with a 60 to 90 second break. For starters, simply jumping on the forefoot should get the heart rate going.

Alternative interval training (2-3 times a week)

Even if you feel under-challenged at first, don’t overdo it and make sure you take the breaks. Your body needs this time to provide enough energy for the next interval.

Conclusion: Jumping rope is a lot more than jumping around a bit in the school yard just for fun. If done correctly, it combines stamina with coordination in an ideal way and is therefore one of the most efficient and at the same time cheapest fitness workouts.

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