Jump rope an ‘effective, low-cost exercise’ for improving cardiorespiratory fitness

Key takeaways:

• Rope skipping performed at either HIIE or MICE improved cardiorespiratory fitness.
• The exercise requires minimal space, is a low-cost option and effective, a researcher said.

High-intensity interval exercise and moderate-intensity continuous exercise performed through rope skipping improved cardiorespiratory fitness in young adults, results from a randomized study revealed.

The findings — published in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition — indicated that rope skipping, also known as jump rope, could be recommended by primary care providers “as an effective, low-cost exercise to improve cardiorespiratory health, particularly for patients at risk of some noncommunicable diseases,” Waris Wong pipit, PhD, an assistant professor at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, told Healio.

“It is a viable alternative for individuals with limited access to gyms or outdoor spaces, and it can be easily integrated into home-based exercise routines,” he added. “Providers can encourage patients to incorporate rope skipping into their daily activities as a time-efficient way to improve overall health. Additionally, educating patients about proper technique and injury prevention could help maximize benefits while minimizing risks.”

High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) has been shown to be an effective strategy but “further research in unsupervised environments is necessary to assess whether HIIE in real-world settings produces positive psychological outcomes” vs. moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE), according to Wong pipit and colleagues..

In the study, researchers randomly assigned 59 adults aged 18 to 34 years to one of three groups over an 8-week period, which included:

• an HIIE group;
• a MICE group; or
• a nonexercised control group.

In the HIIE group, participants performed several 2-minute rope-skipping bouts at 80% maximum heart rate — with 1-minute active recovery at 50% maximum heart rate between bouts — for three sessions per week during the first 2 weeks and nine 2-minute bouts at the same intensity and recovery intervals for three sessions per week through weeks 3 to 8.

Meanwhile, MICE participants performed 20 minutes of rope skipping at 70% maximum heart rate during each of the five weekly sessions throughout the first 2 weeks. During weeks 3 to 8, participants increased to 30-minute sessions at the same intensity, staying at five sessions a week.

The researchers assessed maximal oxygen uptake before and after the intervention, as well as body composition and exercise enjoyment among participants.

They found that both the HIIE (48.4 mL/kg a minute; 95% CI, 43.9-52.9) and MICE (47.2 mL/kg a minute; 95% CI, 43.1-51.1) groups showed significantly better cardiorespiratory fitness after 8 weeks vs. the control group (39.9 mL/kg a minute; 95% CI, 37-42.8) and before the intervention.

Enjoyment levels or body composition did not differ between the groups.

Rope skipping “requires minimal space and equipment, making it an accessible and inclusive exercise option for individuals across all socioeconomic statuses,” Wongpipit told Healio. “This is especially important in situations where access to traditional exercise facilities is limited, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic or in areas with high pollution levels, where exercising at home (limited space) becomes a preferred option.”

Wongpipit highlighted several avenues that future research could take, like evaluating different forms of rope skipping in populations beyond young adults, “such as children, older adults and individuals with pre-existing health conditions, to determine whether it is both effective and enjoyable for them.”

He pointed out that rope skipping may have several barriers alongside its pros.

“Some individuals may face difficulties with coordination or joint impact, particularly those who are older, overweight, or have musculoskeletal conditions,” he said. “Future research and interventions could focus on modifying rope skipping techniques to make it more accessible.”