I Jumped Rope Every Day For 30 Days. Here's Everything That Happened To My Body And Mind.
Here’s a question for you: when was the last time you tried jump roping? Perhaps it was last week in the gym, maybe it was during lockdown, or, like me, maybe it was when you were 10, in school and living your best life in the playground.
Reader, I’m now 30. But over the years, jump roping has made a resurgence and when you delve into the never-ending list of jump rope benefits, it‘s clear to see why. ‘It's one of the easiest, and cost-effective ways of increasing fitness levels,’ says personal trainer and seasoned jump rope pro, Jolene Martin, who specializes in strength training and functional fitness. ‘It targets muscles in your chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, forearms, glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves and all abdominals,’ Martin adds. Sounds good, no?
So, in my pursuit of wanting to learn a new skill (because it’s never too late), cash in on these full body #gains and give my cardiovascular fitness levels a boost, I decided to take on a jump rope challenge. Plus, if it’s good enough for Gemma Atkinson, J Lo and Halle Berry…
My jump rope challenge
I’ll be aiming to tick off 100 jumps per day across a 30-day period (gulp!) either at home or in a gym to help keep things interesting.
Personally speaking, I generally exercise four to five mornings a week, although this can fluctuate depending on how my body is feeling. While completing my jump rope challenge, I’ll be aiming to continue with my weekly 5k run, my once-a-week online Pilates class (I usually find a free Lottie Murphy flow) and my three strength training sessions at my local gym, but I will certainly drop a session or workout if it’s too much. With that in mind, here’s how an ideal week will look:
Monday: 100 jumps in the gym + 45 minute upper-body strength training session (a mixture of lat pull-downs, dips, pull-ups, chest press, row and shoulder press)
Tuesday: 100 jumps at home + 20 minute online Pilates workout
Wednesday: 100 jumps at home + 45 minute lower-body strength training session (including squats, deadlifts, lunges, abductors and hip thrusts)
Thursday: 100 jumps at home
Friday: 100 jumps at home + 45 minute full-body strength training session (ranging from dips, pull ups, chest press, squats, deadlifts and lunges)
Saturday: 100 jumps at home + 5k run
Sunday: 100 jumps at home
Remember that this is my own personal weekly workout routine. If you’re considering taking on a jump rope or fitness challenge, do speak to a PT and tweak accordingly.
But first, what is jump roping?
Jump roping is a high-intensity workout that involves holding a piece of jump rope on either side of your body, swinging it over your head and jumping over it. Sounds easy, I know. But this dynamic and explosive form of fitness is anything but.
Along with challenging your aerobic (used for cardio endurance), anaerobic (used for short, intense bursts of exercise, like HIIT) and cardiovascular system, jump rope works all the muscles in your body. So you get a lot of bang for your jumps. And just like any other form of fitness, finding your form is key. To perfect your technique, Martin recommends:
Keep your shoulders relaxed
Keep your feet close together as you jump up and down
Look forward, not down
Maintain soft knees and a neutral spine
Jump high and land soft
What are the benefits of jump rope?
This piece of kit might be small, but the benefits sure are mighty.
It’s no secret that exercise can help ease anxiety. But a 2021 study proved just how effective jumping rope can be at lowering anxiety levels and increasing serotonin (aka the happy hormone).
Jumping rope can also help improve your balance and coordination — two things that unfortunately diminish with age. Researchers in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine investigated the effects that skipping had on motor abilities and body balance in young football players. The outcome? They found that those who jumped rope had ‘enhanced general motor coordination and balance’ compared to those who didn’t.
Got a need for speed? Runners who complete 5ks will be pleased to know that jumping rope can also help you run faster. This comes after researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 21 studies and found a link between jumping rope and faster running times.
While those who avoid running like they do their alarm clock: look this way. According to research published in the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, jumping rope for 10 minutes a day over the course of six weeks delivers the same brilliant benefits as if you were to jog daily for 30 minutes. ‘So with everything in life becoming so busy, you can still reap the rewards in a shorter space of time by jumping rope,’ Martin adds.
‘Jumping rope can also build and maintain bone density and lead to a healthier heart,’ Martin explains. The latter was proven in a 2019 study, which looked at the effect that jumping rope has on physical and cardiovascular fitness. In this experiment, a group of men were split into two groups. Group A were tasked with completing two jump rope workouts a day, while Group B were asked to do their usual workout routine. After 12 weeks, Group A showed a ‘significant improvement’ in their VO2 max.
Side note: this is my own personal jump rope journey and if you decide to take on a similar challenge, know that it will never be exactly the same as mine. And that’s ok. Either way, Martin recommends honing your practice. ‘Like anything new, start off slow, learn the movement and then build up slowly,’ she says. ‘Maybe start with trying to jump rope for 2 minutes without stopping and go from there.’
Although, if you are someone who has high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma or have been diagnosed as clinically overweight, Martin advises: ‘A more non-weight bearing low impact and low intensity activity would be more suitable.’
7 things I learned from my jump rope challenge
1) Jumping rope will leave your calves on fire
And that’s an understatement. Completing 100 jumps will leave you feeling like you’ve worked everything from your head to your toes because, well, you have. This was great because it helped me warm up before working out or running. But if there was one area where I felt fire like never before, it was in my gastrocnemius and soleus — the two muscles that make up your calves.
For at least the first week, my calves hated me, but after speaking with Martin, I found the solution to all my jump rope-induced woes: ‘Make sure you stretch your calves after you’ve completed your 100 jumps,’ she says. ‘If not, you might find it feels like you’ve been wearing high heels after a night out.’ Ouch!
2) Jumping rope requires a supportive sports bra
We all know that a sports bra wins the award for the hardest working piece of workout clothing. But a form-fitting sports bra really comes into its own when performing a high intensity form of fitness like jumping rope. So take this as your reminder…
3) Jumping rope is seriously convenient
Don’t just take my word for it: ‘One of the best things about this exercise is the fact you can pack up a jump rope and take it with you anywhere in the world,’ Martin explains. ‘It’s so lightweight and space-saving — you really have no excuses not to keep your training routine up.’
I saw this for myself first hand. Over the course of the 30 days, this little pink jump rope of mine has racked up more steps than Covent Garden tube station has to offer. I’ve taken my sidekick to Mexico, it’s ventured to three different gyms and it’s been to my local park. No matter the time, place or location, all you need is a rope, enough space to swing it and the motivation to jump.
4) Jump rope is a major mental workout
Yes, seasoned jump rope experts make this form of fitness look easy. But twisting a rope over your body, jumping at the right time, keeping a tally and aiming for 100 skips is as much of a mental workout as it is a physical one.
In my experience, jumping rope requires most, if not all, of your concentration while you’re putting your cardiovascular endurance front and centre. One hop, skip and a jump out of place and your streak will quickly be derailed. Or worse: if your coordination slips like mine did at the start of this challenge, you might just end up accidentally whipping your legs, arms or any other body part with your rope. I found out the hard way.
5) Splitting your 100 jumps into sets will help
I find it easier and more enjoyable to exercise in the mornings as it sets me up for the day and gives me an endorphin hit no oat latte could ever. But at first, I was struggling to find my rhythm with the rope and catch my breath. To help, I decided to split my 100 jumps out into 5 sets of 20.
By day five, I found I was able to reach around 40 jumps in a row and just over a week in, I was racking up 60. It was day 15 when I was finally able to hit 100 jumps consecutively and feel like I could keep going.
6) Your time and coordination will improve
Yes really. Along with finally finding my jump rope flow, over the course of 30 days I was also able to cut down the time it took me to accomplish 100 jumps. Initially, racking up 100 jumps took me around 2 minutes to complete.
By the end of the challenge, I halved my personal best to under 60 seconds. Plus, once I had mastered the basic jump rope, I started adding in a few alternate foot step skips.
7) Jumping rope is super cost-effective
Did I mention that this handy piece of portable kit costs less than an overpriced coffee? Starting at less than $5, in the ongoing increase in living costs, this is music to my ears and bank balance.
Final thoughts
It turns out a lot can change in 30 days. After a month of jumping rope, my hand-eye coordination has never been better. Want me to fire out 100 jumps in one go? Sure. Sprinkle in some tricks? Consider my fancy footwork finessed. Need to tick off a short warm-up before running? My jump rope has become my sidekick. Plus, as shown by my recovery rate (which I measure by how breathless I am, and for how long, after jumping rope) and my desire to want to tally up more jumps even after I’ve ticked off my 100, my cardio fitness levels have been boosted.
Will I be completing 100 jumps every day for the rest of time? I’d be lying if I said yes. But on the days I don’t fancy heading to the gym, need to find some headspace or I’m heading out on a run, I’ll be reaching for my jump rope to hit every major muscle group in minutes, warm up my calves and get my endorphins pumping. Boxer skips, side swings and double unders…I’m coming for ya!
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