Jump rope may appear to be a fun and relatively effortless activity but, when you look at it from a more granular perspective, you begin to see how beneficial, health-wise, skipping can be. Wondering how you can mix up your exercise routine in the near future? Here are six skipping benefits that will have you jumping rope in no time.

Jump Rope Benefits:

1. It's actually great for building strength

Though it may appear effortless, jumping rope is anything but. This activity requires the use of muscles throughout the body, including your quadriceps, deltoids and hamstrings, adding an impressive level of strength-building to your exercise routine. We recommend incorporating skipping into your workout as a warm-up or even as a 30-minute mini-workout in and of itself.

2. It provides high-intensity interval training

Beyond developing muscle tone, jump rope is also effective as high-intensity interval training, which is proven to burn more calories to help you lose weight and increase endurance for both aerobic and anaerobic systems. At a fast pace, just 10 minutes of skipping can burn the equivalent amount of calories as running an eight-minute mile.

3. It's a full-body exercise

If you're still struggling to balance your fitness routine to ensure you get a full-body workout, adding 15 to 30 minutes of skipping can help. Jump rope also encourages you to establish better posture throughout your workout. Note: This full-body exercise may have you feeling more parched than you usually do during your workout, as it may increase your water output (sweat) and your chances of dehydration. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and consider rehydrating quickly with Precision Hydration.

4. It helps to prevent injury in susceptible areas

In addition to strengthening the more obvious muscles (mentioned above), jumping rope also helps to prevent injury in susceptible areas like your ankles and feet by strengthening those muscles, too. Translation: you'll lower your risk of of straining or injuring to those areas. That said, it's no wonder many athletes like boxers and baseball and tennis players include jump rope in their routines.

5. It's great for the glutes

Jump rope is, perhaps not surprisingly, also a very good glute workout. In addition to strengthening and toning the legs, adding jump rope to your exercise routine will tone your glutes. We recommend skipping as a warmup exercise before you move into your more targeted glute/thigh exercises, like squats or lunges.

6. It's a brain-booster

The repetitive nature of jump rope improves your spatial awareness, quickens your reflexes and improves your agility, making it a beneficial addition to your overall exercise routine as well as your weekend fitness-related excursions. Feeling stressed? The combined dynamic circular and angular motions in the rhythm of jump rope can have a calming effect on your brain, bringing you a greater sense of clarity and relaxation. There you have it: six incredible jump rope benefits that will not only increase the physical results of your workout routine but will also improve your injury prevention, stress levels and overall sense of wellness. Shop our sports and fitness section to amp up your workout routine to its best.