How many calories can you burn jumping rope?

Remember jumping rope as a child? It was all fun back then, but jumping rope (or skipping) is a fun, vigorous and challenging exercise that can burn serious calories in a short amount of time.

How to count jumping rope calories

How many calories you burn jumping rope depends mainly on three factors.

your weight

The heavier you are, the more calories you burn jumping rope.

For example, a 120-lb. A person can burn 160 calories in 20 minutes of slow rope skipping (less than 100 skips per minute), while a 160-lb. A person can burn 213 calories.*

your speed

Not surprisingly, skipping rope quickly burns more calories in less time.

If the 160-lb. If the person mentioned above picks up just a little more speed — hitting between 100-120 skips per minute at a steady rhythm — they’ll burn 286 calories in the same 20-minute span.

Complexity of routines

It’s hard to measure, but adding more complex movements to your jump-rope routine burns calories.

Toe taps, kicks, alternating single-leg jumps, and other variations can take routine jumping rope to a new level of intensity.

But while jumping rope may seem elementary, beyond the basic steps is not for beginners.

Calorie Burn Jumping Rope*

Slow pace (less than 100 skips per minute) for 20 minutes.

Moderate speed (100 to 120 skips per minute) for 20 minutes.

Fast pace (120 to 160 skips per minute) for 20 minutes.

*Calorie values ​​tabulated by running data from Cornell University’s METs to Calorie Calculator physical activity compilation.