How Many Calories Does Jumping Rope Burn?
On average, jumping rope burns about 11 calories per minute. If you crank up the intensity of your jumps, you can burn in the neighborhood of 20 calories per minute.
It’s easy to see why this exercise is easily one of the best cardio activities you can try.
You can jump rope anywhere – indoors, outdoors, on a side of a road – all you need is a jump rope. Jumping rope builds cardiovascular endurance and works almost every muscle in your body.
Unlike walking, which incidentally is another great calorie-burning exercise, jumping rope is not considered a low-impact activity, but it nicely complements walking.
Whether you need to lose some weight or just want to maintain or even improve your fitness level, try this exercise routine: walk at your top speed for 5 minutes, then jump rope for 1 minute, keep switching between walking and jumping rope for a total of 30 minutes.
Aim for three walking/jumping sessions three times a week for two weeks.
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11-29-08 at 1:50 pm
I started jump roping to lose weight, and it worked with 2 months i lost 20 pounds. Then i tried walking on a treadmill, it didnt help alot i walked everyday for 30 min., then i decided to go back to jump roping.
02-17-09 at 1:06 pm
how much did you jump rope? how many minutes??
04-15-09 at 5:34 pm
i love jump roping. i recently hit 101 lbs and want to get back down to 98 at least. i can prob jump for about 8 minutes non stop at a semi-fast pace (120 jumps per minute) so i hope i can burn maybe 3 lbs in 2 weeks. hope it works.
04-30-09 at 11:20 am
98lbs? what are you twelve? 98 lbs seems like an unhealthy goal to me.
05-02-09 at 3:58 pm
I hate it when people say that. I’m 5 feet tall, small-framed and also 100 lbs, normally in my low 90’s. I need to lose weight as well. The numbers aren’t low because we’re anorexic; they’re low because our bodies are smaller than average. I’m not skinny at all.
06-01-09 at 1:18 pm
i play lacrosse competitively and jumping rope is great for keeping you in shape during the off season and building muscle and awareness during the regular season. if your an athlete jump rope it took me like 2 days to get good its fun, easy, and impressive. burns about 500 calories if you do it for 20 minutes, great work to loss ratio.
06-06-09 at 4:49 am
Oh come on, is this really true? Can jumping rope really burn that many calories? If it burns about 11 calories per minute, then I could easily burn 500 calories in 45 minutes! If it’s so efficient then why do people even bother to go to the gym and buy expensive treadmills when they can get the same effect by jumping rope?
It just sounds too good to be true! Jumping rope is fun and easy, I just can’t believe it can burn that many calories…
06-06-09 at 12:29 pm
Why go to the gym and use treadmills? Well, have you ever tried to jump rope for 45 minutes non-stop at moderate pace? It is very hard. It is not easy. In fact, an average person cannot do it. On the other hand, an average person can walk on a treadmill for 45 minutes or more with no problems. That’s why.
06-13-09 at 7:03 am
You can take breaks in between and it still has the same effect. You don’t have to jump or run 45 min straight. But even so, I can jump rope for a longer time than I can run on a treadmill, that’s why I was surprised. It’s just easier and more convenient, too – that’s another reason why I’m wondering if it’s really true – why do people choose to spend so much money on expensive equipment if the jumping rope has such a great effect?
06-15-09 at 11:06 am
Taking breaks in between does not have the same effect. True, your heart rate probably won’t take too big a dip if you take short enough breaks, but the amount of calories burned will be lower. Calorie burning is just energy usage, and when you’re standing still you’re not using as much energy as you are jumping around.
So taking breaks won’t take a big dent out of the increased metabolism you get during your workout (or your heart rate) your energy consumption will.
06-19-09 at 5:44 pm
A good jump rope routine is a boxing match: 12 rounds, 3 minutes, 1 minute rest in between. It’s a very difficult workout.
And who exactly can jump rope for 45 consecutive minutes?
06-21-09 at 8:17 am
Think about it– when you jump up you are forcing your body to defy gravity. You are propelling your body upwards into the air which is a more difficult feat compared than propelling your body forwards (running & walking). Especially since in walking and jogging you get into a kinetic rhythm that you don’t with jumping rope. Therefore, it stands to reason it would expend more energy. It’s not a massive difference, (the 1 minute jumping rope = 30 mins jogging or whatever, is a fallacy), but it is more.
Have you seriously tried jumping rope for the same amount you jog, and at a moderate pace? Jumping rope shouldn’t be easier than jogging. If it is, you’re doing it wrong.
06-23-09 at 8:08 am
I’m 135lbs at 5′4”, which to some people is heathly, but for me, I’d like to lose weight. What’s new? I read about the little article on the jumping rope and I think it’s absolutely amazing, but Dee has a great point on how it is much more efficent than jogging. So, now I’m going to jump rope for 20 minutes a day and see how it works out by the end of the week. Hopefully I lose some good pounds!
06-24-09 at 8:06 am
I just had a visual of myself when dee wrote the part about defying gravity…LOL Ive been doing it for about a month now…Daily. My routine is 45 minutes on my stairclimber every 5 min I hop off and immediately Jump rope for 2 min the stair climber pauses the time so i still get the 45 in. opposite day I do the boxing match routine…Not up to 12 rounds yet but thats one of my goals… Ive seen my heart rate climb as high as 170 when I first started. Now its around 155….YOU CANT BEAT JUMPING ROPE
06-29-09 at 7:12 pm
i hate it when people say ”oh that seems unhealthy to me” when they’re probably over weight themselves. just because someone wants to be 98 pounds doesn’t mean they are a kid or unhealthy. they maybe short. people stop being such closed minded gits.
06-29-09 at 7:14 pm
Cyrano- you are completely wrong. stoping and taking a rest increases your body to burn fat because you are resting your body to give your metabolism enough time to work properly. don’t spread false infomation.
06-29-09 at 7:44 pm
I guess all of you have a point , I’m 5′4 and weigh at 145 I want to drop to at least 125. I’ve been doing the jumprope for like a week and I really do work up a sweat. Hope it works though!
07-04-09 at 8:17 pm
i am doing the 2 sets of 15 minutes per day i pulled a muscle in my leg the first day but now i’m all healed i want to lose at least 10 pounds by September those darn last ten pounds are so stubborn i’m 5′2 and 125 now i want to be 110-115lb
07-08-09 at 3:28 pm
I am just starting to jump rope, how long should i jump for? I would like to lose about 25 pounds by september, do you think it is possible?
07-20-09 at 12:22 pm
I’m with Rosie. I just started jump roping, and I want to lose about 25 pounds by September. I jump rope for 20 minutes a day, do Taekwondo for an hour – 6 days a week, and hula hoop for 30 minutes- every other day. (I will increase my jump roping time by 2-5 minutes every week.) I’m trying to change my diet by eating more healthy – cutting out as much starch and carbohydrates as I can… I don’t know if I’m doing a very good job at that though. I’m only 4′ 11″ but 115 pounds. (Yikes!) Do you guys think I can lose 25 pounds by September if I keep this up?
07-25-09 at 7:48 am
i’m a personal trainer and caught snippets of an exercise physiologist’s conversation on a radio broadcast in which he mentioned a study that revealed a nice benefit from jumping rope is increased lymphatic system efficiency; makes sense because of the lymph’s movement assisted by the skeletal muscle pump system. sorry i don’t have any details of the study, physiologist’s name, etc. i’m just happy to see that so many people in this forum jump rope, since it’s a favorite of mine, and so portable. those who find it difficult to sustain it for a longer period of time hang in there – your endurance will improve and you’ll be a 30-minute-nonstop-jumper one day! and rosie i love your will to lose that much weight, but not by september; you’d need to resort to drastic and possibly unsafe measures. maybe be october! juleh also : )
07-26-09 at 8:49 pm
I have been doing jumping rope exercises for about three months, and I love it. It is probably the best exercise (not counting walking) for overall conditioning and weight loss. By the way: What is the correct way of saying it? Is it “jump rope” or “jumping rope” or “rope jumping”? Anyway, I despise running, but jumping rope is fun and I can do it in my backyard. I believe it has helped me lose 10 pounds.
07-27-09 at 11:58 am
im 13… 90 pounds and 5′4. i just wanna get a tad skinner. but i don’t wanna overdue it. so how many jumps should i do in order to reach 85 pounds?
08-02-09 at 3:50 pm
You people who think jumping rope is easy…its not, just try 10 straight minutes of just jumping rope, its a strong cardio workout
08-03-09 at 3:33 pm
I am a 16 year old male (lol)…standing at 5′7″ and weighing at 134.4 lbs. I’ve been kind of optimistic about this jump rope thing…but does it really work? Because I wanna lose at LEAST 7 lbs. or MORE in just 3-4 weeks before school starts again. Is it possible? and my diet consists of 100 calorie organic soy milk and a banana or grapes for breakfast, NO LUNCH or any form of snacks but PLENTY (about 2 Nalgene bottle) of water for the whole day. And as for my dinner, it is a 2-3 scoops of brown rice and a broccoli or any type of veggie and 1 piece of chicken wing. My usual workout is running 2 miles on Monday, Wednesday, And Friday for 20 minutes at a speed of 9 miles per hour nonstop…I wanna change it up a little because I don’t think running is working for me anymore. PLEASE HELP T.T
08-07-09 at 12:58 am
Lloyd, I have personally found cutting calories and carbs etc doesnt help as much as consestent workouts. Just running and doing jumprope is a good start but for the quickest results I would mix some weight training in with your cardio a month of so of lifting atleast four days a week will drasitcally increase the weight you lose. I try to lift monday through friday and do cardio every other day and it has worked wonders for me. It sounds like you have a good plan for your diet if you can add more to your routine with lifting it should help a lot.
08-07-09 at 8:45 am
Lloyd: I have heard that not eating enough and too many calories burned can lead to the body going into starvation mode, thinking you don’t have enough food and storing the fat. I’d really recommend eating lunch; maybe a small lunch if you want, but then a healthy snack in the afternoon, like a yogurt parfait or a fruit salad (no dressing). Eating 4-5 small meals increases your metabolism better than 3 large meals. Your dinner sounds good and drinking lots of water is great. You can also try raw nuts- a small handful, not roasted (those get addicting) with an apple; that fills you up. If jogging gets boring, you can try jogging until you reach say, a lamp post and then do something different like high-knees (?) and then switch to something else when you get to the next lamp post. Lots of water, healthy calories, low fats, and good carbs, and plenty of exercise, you should be able to reach your goal. Now I’m off to skip!
08-12-09 at 8:57 pm
Oh my goodness!!! Compared to the rest of you I feel like the goodyear blimp. I am truly obese and feel inspired by how much exercise you all do. Don’t laugh or judge but I am 261 lbs. and have tried every diet out there. I have always struggled with my weight but more so after I had my child. I went from 180 to about 320. There is no way I could jump rope for 45 minutes straight. I have come to a point in my life where I feel like I need a complete makeover to stay healthy and more importantly stay ALIVE! Since most of you here seem to be healthy please help. I have reduced my calorie intake to about 1400 calories eating fiber one cereal for breakfast, a fruit snack, salad…yogurt…and sandwich for lunch….a 3 to 4 oz. meat with a vegetable for dinner…and sometimes another piece of fruit. I usually drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. I try really hard to watch my calories. Sometimes i get headaches but I think that is some type of sweet withdrawal. As far as exercise I walk 2 minutes jog 1 minute until I complete 1 mile 3 times a week and I just started jump roping but I can only do it for about 3 minutes straight and then I rest 1 minute until I reach 25 minutes and I do that 2 times a week. Do you think if I just jump roped 5 days a week that it would be more beneficial? The reason I ask is because since I started this routine about 2 weeks ago I haven’t seen that much of a weight change and I want to maximize the amount of calories burned. Your advice is definitely welcome.
08-18-09 at 1:07 am
Consider veganism or at the very least vegetarianism along with exercise. THat in itself will drop the pounds. there are plenty of helpful websites but I recommend the book Skinny Bitch. I was also a big drinker and when i got rid of the booze the pounds melted off. These are just my personal experiences and i can’t speak for everyone. This works for me. But no matter what your diet, exercise is key.
08-26-09 at 3:34 pm
so last monday about 30 of us got together and decided to do this “biggest loser” competition. well all pony up 5 bucks a month regardless of how much weight we lose..as well as 1 dollar a week when we weigh in on mondays. If, when you weigh in your weight stays the same (rounded to the closest pound) you pay a dollar. If you gain any weight..it’s 2 dollars a pound (rounded to the nearest pound). It started Aug 16 and is going to Dec 21. I had been jogging all week. 1 mile jogging, 1 mile walking before work…2 miles jogging/fast walking in the evening after work. I lost almost 6 lbs the first week.
I started the thing at 285.3 (the biggest i had ever weighed in my life , i’m 31 6′1 male). guess that’s what happens when you marry a cajun girl who likes to cook jambalaya and gumbo! anyhow back on point.
i just picked up a jump rope and started using it in the back yard..in the sun..with it 95 degrees outside (before i came across this article) and let me tell ya..i do it for sets of 50 at a time (took a cpl days to get my rythm and timing down to do 50 consecutive) and it’s a HELLUVA workout..i love it…i like it more than running..it’s easier on my joints (ankles and knees) and i can feel muscles i havent felt working since i was 23.
now i do 750 jumps in the morning and try to do 1000 in the evening. i have a feeling when i weight in this week i’ll be able to drop significantly more than last week with running alone.
08-27-09 at 2:09 am
I started rope jumping years ago, for high school football. I picked it up again for amateur boxing, and now I continue it for Goju Ryu karate. I can go about 45 non stop. I’ve gone longer, up to an hour, but I’m told it’s better to interval with a minute fast and a minute slow for less time. Any more I’m told will be counter productive. It takes awhile to learn how to jump that much, but the advantages are worth the whip marks you’ll get on your legs.
08-28-09 at 9:02 pm
i just finished jumping rope right now. i did 30 mins =1011 jumps. i paused after ever 100 jumps for 20 secs n kept at it. with pumping music it really isnt that difficult. im currently at 190 something lbs trying to lose about 40 lbs by Feb 2nd 2010. i do watch my calorie intake now and walk for an hr a day. hopefully jumping will help me out. i noticed jumping makes me sweat about 10 times more than just walking or jogging! i love it. it means im pushing my body to work itt!
08-29-09 at 2:59 pm
I’m an athlete and jumping rope has been the BEST possible workout for me. I break up the time doing either 30 mins-20 mins-10 mins all non stop or 20 mins-20 mins-10 mins every day. It beats running, walking, everything. I have found it to be a killer calorie burner and a major muscle toner. Give it a shot. The only problem I have with it is I have developed a pain in the top of my foot. Try to jump on cushioned surfaces, anything but cement. Good luck
09-01-09 at 1:02 pm
*update* Lost 5 lbs this week watching what i was eating and jumping rope for only about half an hour a day. (jumping rope to 1000). 10 lbs in 2 weeks aint too shabby.
09-03-09 at 7:42 am
I took up rope jumping or ’skipping’ a it is known in the UK almost a year ago and was totally enthralled from day one. I’ve since gained a coaching qualification with the British Rope skipping Association and am teaching others to skip. My one piece of advice would be to learn how to jump correctly and efficiently with correct form. Make sure you have a rope the right size and cross trainers pref with some gel in the forefoot. Practice jumping until you are no more than half an inch off the floor and never jump on a hard surface.
It builds long lean muscle (my legs and glutes have never looked so good) and it also builds upper body muscle. As for burning calories nothing beats it though the scales may not register weight loss immediately due to putting on muscle. Most of all it is such FUN. I can be jumping around for two plus hours practising tricks etc… and it is so graceful and athletic. PS I was 49 years old when i picked up the rope for the first time. Check out the professionals on the web.. Peter Nestler, Buddy Lee, Rene Bibaud, Ropesport, Aerosport. Get jumping people its going to be soooo fashionable. Ask Madonna!!!
09-14-09 at 5:04 pm
after a mont of jumping rope and eating right i’ve lost 18.5 lbs.
09-18-09 at 11:58 pm
I just started jumping rope today and did 40 mins of start and stop (mainly because I am so out of practice and the rope kept hitting my feet haha). I was originally a runner but now the thought of running makes me feel like puking. Skipping makes me sweat way more than running does, but I don’t feel like I just did cardio. Is that the way I’m supposed to feel? After running you obviously feel like you just did something major, but after skipping it feels like I just cheated my way out of a cardio workout
09-24-09 at 3:53 am
I’m an ast. manager at Gold’s Gym. I work and workout with trainers all day and they all say that jumping rope is one of the best cardio excersises a person can do. I’ve been using it in my workout regimen going on three years now and let me tell you, there is nothing better. I’m 6′0 and weigh between 175-180. If I didn’t include my jumprope routine it’d probably be a bit higher. It works that well. I do very little lifting. My workout is simple; my jumprope routine, 3-5 sets of 12 pullups, and running/walking for about 45 minutes to an hour. So if your not into weight training, this is the perfect calorie burning workout that also gives you shredded lean muscle. Here’s my 15 minute jumprope routine.
-jumprope for 3 minutes at average pace
-do as many pushups you can for 30 seconds
-do as many situps you can for 30 seconds
-rest 1 minute
-jumprope for 3 minutes at fast pace
-do as many pushups you can for 30 seconds
-do as many situps you can for 30 seconds
-rest one minute
-jumprope for 3 minutes at average pace
-do as many pushups you can for 1 minute
-do as many situps you can for 1 minute
You not only burn between 150-250 calories depending on your weight, but you increase strength in your upper and lower body for even higher endurance workouts. Give it a shot. You will see results quickly. Trust me.
09-25-09 at 1:15 pm
Oh My God!!!! I just completed the 15 Minute jumprope routine and I am panting harder than my 3 mile brisk walk-jog routine that I do everyday. Wow! Thanks!
09-27-09 at 5:03 am
Hy guys i’m a 16 year old and i weigh 107lbs i’d like to lose 25 pounds in 2 weeks time ..please help me i need all the advice i can get.
09-28-09 at 8:05 am
Hey Matt. I’m a female i weight 185 pounds, my height is 5′ 4″ and I would like to lose 20 to 30 pounds. Seems like i have a lot of weight to lose but i really don’t have that much belly fat to lose.
Do you think if jump rope for 5 minutes, do treadmill for 10 minutes, rest 1 minutes, jump rope for 5 minutes, treadmill for 10minutes, test 1 minute, jump rope 5 minutes, treadmill for 15 minutes – do you think i can lose the weight i want?
09-29-09 at 2:33 pm
Lori, hun I wouldn’t go as far as veganism or vegetarianism…Do some research and talk with your doctor to see what he/she recommends is best and at what limit, for your body. There are multiple things you have to take into consideration when dealing with health issues and exercise regimen…some advice are sensible, but you have to weigh your options (no pun intended) so-to-speak…I wish you all the best. I too, have changed my diet portions and have cut out pop, sweets and alcohol…occassionally, I may falter but rare….exercise I hate, but I am starting it again…I will start a jump rope routine…Oh, I am 30, 5′5″ and within 5mths I have lost 13 pounds…I am now at 165…all I did so far, was watch my portions, no greasy stuff foods, NONE…and Lori, you are awesome to drink so much water, I hate water, but I have a 240z with lemon juice, twice a day..I’m trying to drink more water. Do some resarch and speak with your Doctor Lori..And understand it all takes some time…Don’t rush too fast into anything….You will see the pounds fall off when you aren’t watching a time-line or scale….Good luck hun.
09-30-09 at 2:42 am
Hy all, i have seen all the comments and i think you ppl are doing the jump rope at a very very slow phase. I combine jump rope with tabata training and i do like 20 sec jump rope and 10 sec break for 8 times and i do around 87-100 jumps in 20 seconds = approx 800 jumps in 4 min complete. it’s very very intense and pains like hell, you will be panting like any thing by the end and might even fall down as initially we can’t even stand. try this routine and let me know.
10-01-09 at 9:17 am
Try jumping rope for 3 minutes straight and rest for one minute, then start the cycle again, 3 min, rest 1 min. Do that for 30 minutes 3 times a week. You will burn a minimum of 300 calories per session. The problem is people jump rope for 30 min, burn 300 calories and then have a 600 calorie lunch. You just defeated the purpose. You can’t take in 3,000 calories a day, burn a 1,000 and expect to lose weight. In order to lose weight you MUST burn more calories than you take in!! Period.
10-07-09 at 9:54 am
Hey thanks for the advice Char. It’s hard doing all this exercise then I see nothing. I have a treadmill at home but haven’t seen results. What kinds of routines are good?
10-26-09 at 1:10 pm
Hi everybody. My response is to those who are trying to lose weight and want some advice. I used to be overweight and now have found what works for me. Please let me share.
-Exercise without dieting may make you healthier, but not skinnier.
-Dieting without exercise may make you skinnier, but not healthier.
-It’s easier to cut calories out of your diet than burn with exercise.
-Exercise in the morning after drinking only water (or something with caffeine) helps burn fat.
-Exercise should take you out of your comfort-zone. (Sweat!)
-If you’re sore from previous workout, give your body a rest. It needs to repair. Walk if you need to keep routine.
-Cut out whites -sugar, salt, whitebreads, etc. Simple carbohydrates make you hungrier, and salt makes you retain water weight.
-Buy a scale that measure BODY FAT! Measure and monitor your body fat at least every other day. Write it on your calendar and track only your TRENDS. Do not even look at your weight.
-If you fall off the wagon, do not use that as an excuse to give up. Just start over with the next meal, day, etc.
-As a general rule, drink only water, eat fresh fruits, veggies, and lean meats with every meal. Limit your whole grains to the equivelant of about a bowl of cereal a day (which is the recommended amount).
-Eat small amounts. Even if you’re still hungry, put the food aside to eat in an hour if you’re still hungry then. It’s not going anywhere.
-Don’t try to change your entire life overnight. Try to incorporate 1-2 changes to your routine and keep them for a month. Then add more. I’d recommend starting by drinking only water and exercising (jump rope).
Most important, make small choices every day/meal that you can feel good about. I’m now in good shape, but when I behave in ways I used to (i.e. overeating, etc.), I feel as fat as I used to be. When I make healthy food and exercise choices, I feel great about myself.
10-27-09 at 11:07 am
2 months in and i’m down 31 lbs. Altho i’m doing more than JUST jumping rope now it’s still incorporated in my workout with the stationary bike and the elliptical machine (which btw will kick yer behind, definitely a good workout). as well as lifting weights now. i’m about 30 lbs from my target weight of 215 lbs. Started with jumping rope!
11-10-09 at 2:33 pm
Couldn’t you get the same exercise jumping up and down ???
11-12-09 at 1:38 pm
I’ve been jogging and dieting for a little over a month and lost 10 lbs. This is usually where I plateau and give up, but not this time. I picked up a jump rope on a whim because it has been raining these past 2 days and gave it a go just now. I should have read this beforehand because I made the mistake of double-jumping and going 10 minutes non-stop. Still, for my first ever jump rope workout I feel as tired as a 30 minute jog. I’ll continue with sets of 3 minutes jumping 1 minute rest for 20 minutes every other day for a month and see how it goes.
@Mike D, congrats, keep it up!
11-15-09 at 2:33 am
i’ve been trying to lose weight by dieting and by jumping rope half an hour the first ten days and i lost five pounds in it then i calculated how much would i b able to loose in 40 days i expected to loose 20 lbs in 40 days, but now i checked after twenty days its still the same meaning i only lost five pounds the first ten days and its been 20 days all together. I should have lost five more pounds. why didn’t i ? can anyone help me with this? or suggest something?
11-18-09 at 4:39 pm
@Annie: You’ve probably hit a plateau where your body’s now used to the the routine and hence, your metabolism slows down because now your body can do the same amount of work with less energy needed. This translates into less calories burnt. Try mixing up your routine. For instance, you could skip for 10 minutes, run for 10, and go back to skipping for the last 10 minutes. Vary your exercise routine; it keeps your body “guessing” and your weight will drop off.