Jumping rope offers numerous health and athletic benefits. The activity can be used to develop your cardiovascular system and prevent heart disease, burn calories and support weight-loss goals, and improve an athlete's physical performance. Begin with short segments of jumping rope and progressively increase your time as you develop endurance and skill.
Cardiovascular Health
Jumping rope is a cardiovascular activity in that it requires your lungs, heart and circulatory system to handle a bigger workload. When you're consistent with your jump rope training sessions, you will see cardiorespiratory improvements. Your heart will become stronger; it will be able to pump a greater blood volume with each beat and your lungs and circulatory system will become more efficient at delivering oxygen and nutrients to your working tissues.
Calories
Jumping rope is one of the most efficient calorie-burning exercise activities, according to MayoClinic.com. A 160-lb. person will burn about 730 calories in 60 minutes of jumping rope, while a 200-lb. person will burn about 910 calories in that same amount of exercise time. Burning a significant number of calories with jumping rope facilitates weight loss efforts and helps those who are not necessarily looking for fat-loss results to maintain their current healthy body composition.
Agility and Power
According to Mark Roozen of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, jumping rope is effective at developing lower body explosiveness. As you land from a jump, you must immediately take off again. This teaches your neuromuscular system to become more efficient and improves coordination because your neural system must communicate more efficiently with your muscles to contract at a faster rate. This development transfers to athletic ability, such as when a basketball player must leave the floor quickly to get a rebound or change directions.
Uses
Jumping rope can help develop your cardiovascular system and to improve leg power, but it's also a quality choice to use as part of a comprehensive warmup. Jumping rope speeds up your breathing rate and your heart rate, increases your core temperature and wakes up your neuromuscular system, preparing your body for more intense activities. Athletes such as boxers and basketball players utilize jump rope to prepare for their practices or competitions, jumping rope for 5 to 10 minutes before they take the court or enter the ring.
Considerations
Jumping rope may cause some individuals discomfort because it places a significant amount of stress on the ankle, knee and hip joints. Each time you jump, your skeletal structures must handle the impact of your body's weight striking the ground. Progressively increase the time in your jump roping sessions so that you allow your muscles, connective tissue and joints to adapt. Land softly when your knee slightly bent.
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