The jump rope is an incredibly versatile tool for an athlete’s strength and conditioning program. There are several things that it does really well. First, it’s a great tool for the foot, ankle, and shin. Second, it develops athleticism. Third, jumping rope is a great warm-up exercise. Finally, the jump rope is a great tool for a metabolic conditioning program.
If it’s done right, jumping rope is primarily being done by the ankle. The knees are soft, but aren’t actively bending to perform the exercise. This means several things. First, the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the ankle, foot, and shin are being strengthened by performing the exercise. Second, since jumping rope involves impact this means the bones of the lower body are being strengthened by jumping rope. This all has implications for preventing shin splints, ankle injuries, and injuries to the Achilles tendon through regular use.
It’s probably accurate to say that young athletes aren’t getting as much movement education as they used to in school. We can’t take for granted that this is a skill that they have learned as they were growing up. Someone that can jump rope with skill is able to move their feet lightly and quickly, which has a lot of carryover to most sports!
While jumping rope the core stays tight, the ankles are performing most of the movement, the lower body is absorbing the impact, and the upper body is turning the rope. In other words a lot of the body is involved with the exercise. This elevates heart rate, moves blood throughout the entire body, and gets a sweat going. In other words, this is an ideal general warm up exercise!
Finally, jumping rope is a great tool for a metabolic conditioning program. It uses most of the body, it raises heart rate, it is rhythmic in nature, and it can be done for periods of time. This means that it is an excellent addition for a conditioning program.
There are two other benefits of jumping rope. First, jump ropes are inexpensive – a few dollars only. This is an economical exercise tool! Second, the act of jumping rope trains many things at one time – in other words it has a high return for the amount of time invested!
