An injury can instantly kill any progress that you’re making with your jump rope routine. If you injure yourself, you may not be able to exercise for days, weeks, or sometimes much longer.
We’ve put this guide together to help you avoid injury so you can continue to do the things that you love.
Quick Answer: You can help avoid injury if you start slow, warm-up, stretch, and jump on a padded surface.
New To Jump Rope? Start Slow!
If you haven’t picked up a jump rope since your childhood (or more than a couple months/years), you are much more prone to injury if you suddenly start with an aggressive jump rope workout.
Jump Rope is a full body workout and you will be using muscles that you don’t typically use in your day-to-day life.
Start slow, and try to limit your first workouts to a couple of minutes each. Give your body time to react to the new exercise and pay attention to any strain, pain, or tension that you may be feeling.
Warm Up Before You Jump
Jump rope is a medium-high intensity exercise. Any time that you start a medium or high intensity exercise, you must warm up your muscles.
Warming up your muscles properly will increase flexibility, mobility, and available output. You will be less likely to injure yourself and you will have a much more effective workout.
Sample warmup:
- 10 x Jumping Jacks
- 10 x Reverse Lunges
- 10 x Pushups
- Repeat 1-3 x
It is important that you always warm up before you start skipping.
Stretch Before & After Using Your Jump Rope
Once you’re warmed up, it’s important to take a couple of minutes to stretch your arms and legs prior to your jump rope workout. Stretching will improve your flexibility and allow you to put more effort into your workout.
Jump On A Padded Surface With Comfortable Shoes
We would classify Jump Rope as a “high impact” activity. You’re jumping up and down hundreds and sometimes thousands of times in a single workout.
Jump Rope can lead to injury if you’re using improper shoes, or jumping on a really hard surface (like concrete, brick, etc.). It’s common for people to experience joint pain if they’re repeatedly jumping on a hard surface.
We recommend using a jump rope mat or rubber gym mat to help minimize the impact of each jump.
A Reminder
We are not medical professionals, we are not qualified to give medical advice. Please consult a medical professional immediately if you sustain an injury or experience excessive pain as a result of exercise.
We provide content based on our personal experience, research, and feedback from our community.
