Jump Rope Vs Other Exercises: 7 Different Exercises Tested

Join us as we discuss all the pros and cons of jump rope vs other exercises and why jump rope might be an essential workout to add to your program.

Rope Jumping as a Perfect Exercise

Jumping rope is gaining in popularity as people realize just how beneficial this exercise can be. When compared to other cardio exercises like running you quickly see that jump rope recruits a lot more of your body’s muscles, particularly when a weighted rope is used.

While running is all in the legs, jump rope works your legs, shoulders, arms, back, and core, it is a real full-body workout.

Jump Rope We Recommend

If you are just getting into jump rope then we recommend this WOD Nation Speed Rope. Not only is it nice and fast but it is also stable, this is important as it allows you to quickly recover from missed jumps.

Rope Jumping vs Other Exercises

So you now know just how good jump rope can be as an exercise, but how does it compare to other common cardio workouts, well let’s have a look.

1. Jump Rope vs Burpees

Let’s start this by looking at jump rope vs burpees, both of these exercises are great workouts and can really burn a lot of calories as well as build muscle.

Burpees are definitely a tougher exercise, but this has its own pros and cons. If you can’t keep up the burpees for long then you won’t burn many calories and would actually be better off using a jump rope.

Jump ropes and burpees are also different styles of workout, burpees are a full-body calisthenic exercise whereas jump ropes are a cardio workout. Burpees will be better for strength training and muscle development whereas jump rope is a lot easier on the body and really good for training your endurance.

If you use a weighted jump rope then it also really helps muscle development, particularly in your arms and shoulders.

Jump rope has a much lower impact on your body, so if you are worried about burnout and injuries then using a jump rope could be the perfect choice for you.

Both exercises are very easy to get into, with burpees you need no equipment at all, and jump rope only requires a very small investment in a rope and can then be done anywhere.

2. Rowing vs Jump Rope

When it comes to rowing vs jump rope, which exercise is best for you depends on the goals of your training. In terms of calories burned then both exercises are similar with a slight advantage given to jumping rope, but this will greatly depend on the intensity of your workout with each piece of equipment.

The major difference is in which body parts are used in each exercise. Rowing is very upper-body heavy and works your muscles hard, particularly on high resistance.

Jump rope is more of an all-around exercise with a lot of focus on the lower body rather than the upper body.

When it comes to cost and ease of starting off then there is only one winner here, and that is obviously the jump rope. Buy a jump rope and you are ready to go but with rowing, you either need to invest a lot of money into a rowing machine or use one at the gym. Jump rope you can do anywhere and is great for when you are traveling or can’t make it to the gym.

3. Jump Rope vs Cycling

Cycling is a great low-impact cardio workout and is actually lower impact than jump rope, putting very little strain on your joints.

You will on average tend to burn slightly more calories with a jump rope vs cycling but this will depend on the intensity that you work out at. If you can work out longer jumping rope than you can do cycling then you will obviously burn more calories and this is just as true in reverse.

When it comes to the muscles worked then jump rope has a clear advantage as cycling only works your leg muscles. Jump rope on the other hand works many more muscles and is a true full-body exercise.

You can take this even further and add a weighted rope or weighted jump rope handles to your workout and suddenly your triceps and deltoids will really start to feel the burn.

One major advantage that jump rope has over cycling is how easy and cheap it is to get into. Buy a low-cost jump rope and you are ready to go. Whereas with cycling you need to invest in a bike and then all of the other equipment as well as plan a route, alternatively you need a gym membership or to invest a lot of money into a static machine for your home.

4. Jump Rope vs Treadmill

When it comes to jump rope vs treadmill as an exercise a lot depends on how hard you work out. With both exercises, you only get out what you put in, but this is what often works in the jump rope’s favor.

A lot of people will be able to jump rope for longer, especially with short breaks, than they can run on a treadmill. This means you will burn more calories and get a better workout as you are simply putting more effort in and working out for longer.

Then you also have the added benefit of other muscles being recruited with jump rope, particularly if you use a weighted rope. With a heavy rope jump rope quickly turns into a really strenuous full-body workout.

However, if you can run quickly on a treadmill and keep up an 8-minute mile or better pace then you will burn more calories, but a lot of people won’t be able to keep that pace up, particularly for a full workout.

With intense running you will also tend to work your respiratory system harder than you would jumping rope, this in turn can lead to greater lung conditioning than jumping rope alone will do.

To run on a treadmill you either need to spend a lot of money to buy one or get a gym membership and use theirs. With a jump rope, you just need to spend a small amount of money and then you are good to work out anywhere with it.

5. Jump Rope vs Jogging 

When comparing these two exercises there is really only one winner, and that is the jump rope. When using a jump rope vs jogging you will burn a lot more calories with a jump rope and it is also more fun while having a lower impact on your body.

In order to burn more calories running than with a jump rope, you need to hit a decent running pace, which a lot of people don’t do. If you just go for a nice and casual jog around the neighborhood then you will not burn the same amount of calories that you would if you instead did a jump rope workout.

Jogging and jump rope are both similar when it comes to the amount of money needed to get started, with jump rope you just need to buy a rope, and with jogging, you just need a decent pair of trainers and you are good to go. Both exercises can be done anywhere, although jump rope can be done inside if the weather is really poor and you don’t fancy going outside for a jog.

Another advantage of jump rope over jogging is that it can be done inside your home if the weather is poor, this is only possible with jogging if you purchase a treadmill which is a large investment for most people.

Jogging also puts more strain on your joints than skipping does due to the high-impact nature of running. This is particularly true for the strain on your knees, particularly if you are running on asphalt.

6. Elliptical vs Jump Rope

When it comes to elliptical vs jump rope there is only one winner and that is the humble jump rope. It is cheaper, easier to get into, and actually gives you a better workout than an elliptical machine does.

You will burn more calories with a strenuous jump rope exercise than you ever would with an elliptical machine, and what’s more, you can do it from the comfort of your own home.

All you need to make is a small investment into a jump rope and you can get started on your new training regime. You don’t need to sign up for a gym or buy a really expensive piece of equipment, and you can even take your jump rope with you when you travel.

There is also the fact that jump rope has a much higher METs score than a moderate workout on an elliptical machine. METs stand for metabolic equivalent and are just a scientific way of training to measure and describe the intensity of a particular exercise.

In fact, a jump rope workout could actually burn twice the calories of a similar length of time working out on an elliptical machine could.

7. Hula Hoop vs Jump Rope

Which is better for you when it comes to hula hoop vs jump rope depends on what you want to get out of the exercise. Jump rope is a much better cardio workout and will burn a lot more calories than a hula hoop.

A hula hoop though is better for your core and also for improving flexibility. So if you just want good core exercise and to flex your joints then the hula hoop is the better choice.

Both exercises also score highly on the fun rating and are considered some of the more enjoyable workouts you can do but for most people, a hula hoop session will be a lot more fun than a jump rope session.

If you want a workout that will actually push your body and get you out of breath and sweating then jump rope is the only choice out of these two for you.

Both exercises are cheap to get into and can be done at home but jump rope is more portable as you can just pop the rope in a bag and take it anywhere with you, including when you go away.

FAQ

Burpees vs Jump Rope Which Burns More Calories?

Burpees have a MET score of 12 but this can vary depending on the speed you are jumping at. So from this, you can clearly see that jump rope will burn a lot more calories than burpees, up to 50% more in fact!

What is better than jumping rope?

In terms of calorie expenditure then one of the few exercises that is better than jumping rope is a fast run. If you can keep up an average pace of more than 8mph then you will be burning more calories by running than you would jumping rope.

What exercise can replace jump rope?

There are so many exercises that you can do instead of jumping rope, which ones you choose will depend on what you want to get out of your workout.

If you want to work out your upper body then rowing is a great alternative, if you want a full-body strength session then maybe try burpees or if you want to really push the cardio then a good pace jog will be a great alternative.

Conclusion

Jumping rope is a great exercise and compares very well to many other common exercises. It is easy to do and anyone can pick up a jump rope and get started, while at the same time it is a great cardio workout and can also be used to develop muscle strength if you use a weighted rope. If you have any questions about jump ropes or other exercises then let us know in the comments below.

Also read:

• Single Unders
• What Size Jump Rope Do I Need
• Best Jump Rope
• Best Jump Rope For Boxing
• How To Do Double Unders
• Speed Rope vs Weighted Rope
• How Long Should You Jump Rope

References:

1. 02 – Conditioning Exercise // Compendium of Physical Activities: https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/Activity-Categories/conditioning-exercise