Jumping rope is an increasingly popular form of exercise. When the COVID-19 pandemic closed many gyms and workout facilities around the country, people searched for convenient ways to work out at home. With only a pair of tennis shoes and a jump rope, you can complete a cardio workout that burns calories, improves coordination, and sheds fat.
If you are new to jumping rope, or you haven’t used it since elementary school, it is important to learn the proper form and technique. Jumping rope can improve your heart health and coordination, reducing your risk of injury. However, it is possible to get injured while jumping rope.
Table of Contents
- How often should I jump rope each week?
- How Long Should My Jump Rope Sessions Be?
- Overtraining & the Negative Side Effects of it
Key Takeaway
Jumping rope for a long time can put too much stress on the body, leading to unwanted injuries. Knowing the time required for every session is essential to avoid getting injured as good as it is to jump rope. Jumping rope timing depends on if you are a beginner or veteran jumper. It depends on some other personal factors too. The intensity of the jump rope exercises is another determinant of the time required to practice.
Most jump rope injuries occur when an individual uses the wrong form or works out too much. Once you learn the foundational techniques and start adding new skills, it can be tempting to jump rope for longer periods of time. But, putting too much stress on your body can result in injuries. So, how long should you jump it?
How often should I jump rope each week?
Jumping rope provides a quick and convenient way to fit an effective workout into your busy schedule. As with any exercise, it is important to pay attention to your overall health and safety. Too much of any workout can result in injuries.
How often should you do it depends on personal factors. If you already train on a daily basis, jumping rope each day may not be an issue. Individuals who already frequent the gym and have a high level of fitness on a regular basis can easily fit jumping rope into their workout routine.
If you currently have a low level of fitness, easing yourself into a routine is best. You may feel motivated to jump every day, but you could stress your body too much and get hurt. For those new to exercising in general, it may be best to start with just one or two jump rope sessions each week and increase your frequency as your activity level increases. You can always ask your doctor to provide a personalized recommendation as well to prevent injury.
For individuals who are relatively active but are new to jumping rope, it might be best to jump rope just two or three times a week to start. Mastering the basic techniques for jumping rope is the best way to maximize your results and minimize your risk of injury. Jumping rope too frequently during the week can lead to fatigue and you may learn improper techniques. Once you have a mastery of the foundations for jumping rope, you can add more sessions each week.
How Long Should My Jump Rope Sessions Be?
Once you know how often to jump rope each week, you can decide how long to jump each day. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, adults should complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio or 75 minutes of high-intensity cardio during the week, or about 15 to 30 minutes per day. Jumping rope for too long during one session can quickly lead to fatigue and cause you to make mistakes. While it can be tempting to keep practising your techniques and skills, you are more likely to get injured if you jump for too long.
Thankfully, jumping rope is a very effective cardio exercise. In just a 15-minute jump rope session, you can burn 200 to 300 calories, raise your heart rate, and challenge your cardiovascular system. When you are just beginning to learn how to jump rope, spend at least five minutes at the beginning of every session focused on the basics. Mastering the basic techniques for jumping rope can make your workouts more effective.
Beginners may find it best to do short, circuit-style workouts when jumping rope. Skipping for as long as you can with 60 seconds of rest in between sessions offers a great workout. You can do this for five minutes and increase your time with each session.
It may surprise you to learn that a 20-minute jump rope session is considered a longer workout. Sessions that last between 20 and 60 minutes can help build your aerobic fitness, but they put considerable stress on your legs and the connective tissues in your body.
Instead of starting off with long-jump sessions each day of the week, it is important to build up your duration over time. Beginners can jump for 10 to 15 minutes, two to three times per week. From there, you can increase your session times and frequency as you master the jump rope basics and learn new techniques.
Overtraining & the Negative Side Effects of it
The problem of overtraining is on the increase among fitness enthusiasts doing cardiovascular exercises. Overtraining is going beyond your body’s ability, which usually results in weakness. This is not related to tiredness in any way, so it should not be mistaken for it.
So what are the implications of overtraining and their side effect on trainers?
1. General Joint Pain:
Excessive rope jumping can lead to joint pain, which may overshadow your objective of doing the exercise. In addition, the pain may become severe, especially if your testosterone levels become depressed. In that case, it may take a long time to recover. As such, it is better to prevent the injuries rather than look for a cure.
2. Shin Splints:
This injury usually arises from high-intensity training, especially jump rope workouts. Beginners doing more than what their body can handle are the major victims of shin splints. The affected persons may feel pain along the inner side of their shinbone. Another side effect is mild swelling in the lower leg. You can cure the shin splints of jumping rope by following the necessary measures.
3. Calf Strain:
Too many jumping rope workouts can leave you struggling to walk. In fact, you might not be able to jump rope for a long time. This is because the calf contains plantar flexors, a group of muscles used repetitively when jumping rope. Strains happen when you put too much pressure on this muscle. There are three grades of strains you can experience. The third one produces severe pain and muscle dislocation.
4. Stress Fractures:
This is one of the injuries of excessive jump rope training. These are small cracks on weight-bearing bones on the lower leg. If your bones are weak, the tendencies are high, that you may experience stress fractures. The side effect of stress fractures includes tenderness, swelling, and pain around the areas affected.
5. Achilles tendon Strain:
This is the largest tendon in the human body, responsible for movement. Overdoing jump rope can cause pain and inflammation at the bottom of the foot. You can also feel pain at the back of your leg if you continue to put pressure on your Achilles tendon.
Overtraining does no benefits to the body. On the contrary, it causes more harm to the body, especially the lower body. Fortunately, you can avoid injuries associated with overtraining with a jump rope.