Jump Rope vs. Running: Which Exercise Is Better?

Both jumping rope and running are cost-friendly measures to improve your body composition. But when it comes to the jump rope vs running debate, you need to weigh out the costs and benefits of each to determine which is healthier.
Have you ever woken up in the morning, to the alarm you scheduled for 5 am titled: “Go for a run”, only for you to hit the snooze button knowing how monotonous it would be to wear your sweats and run through the cold winter rain? And boom, there goes your workout for the day.
The essence of maintaining a healthy physique lies in how you can switch up your routines, make them exciting so you don’t fall off track. This often makes us wonder - Jump Rope vs. Running: Which exercise is better to improve your cardio and endurance level?
This very aspect is where jumping rope thrives.

You can check out most popular jump rope combinations  video related to skipping rope variation on Honor Athletics' YouTube channel as well.

https://youtu.be/kHQcIEFaHWM

Jumping rope allows you to switch up your cardio routines from monotonous and gruelling HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts, to merely skipping effortlessly on your rope.
Let’s assess the various health benefits and drawbacks of jump rope vs. running.

 The Clash Of The Calorie Burners

Comparing the two cardio exercises, one would think a long uphill run would be a smarter option to burn calories than jumping rope. Though, in practicality, the story is quite different.
Jumping rope burns slightly more calories in a 10-minute session.

An individual weighing 150 pounds doing both exercises would burn up calories as follows:

Low Intensity

In casual, low-intensity speculation, running takes the victory as the exercise would burn 117 calories as opposed to 105 whilst the individual jumps rope.

Medium Intensity

Let’s crank the difficulty up a notch. In a medium intensity workout, jump rope would give the individual a better advantage with 140 calories burnt per 10 minutes of exercise compared to 125 from running.

High Intensity (Vigorous )

Lastly, in a high-intensity workout routine for individuals wanting to cut weight fast, the jump rope again seems the most feasible option. With a close call of 146 calories burnt compared to 140 from running.
But is the slight difference in calories burnt enough to influence your decision?

Convenience Is Key

One of the major reasons why people tend to abandon working out is because of inconvenience. While both exercises require minimal investment, there is always a problem of space when it comes to running.
For obvious reasons, running requires an open (mostly outdoor) setting for you to work out in peace. This means stepping out of the luxury of your own home, in at times extreme weather conditions.
Unless you happen to own a treadmill, maybe running is the go-to option for you, since you’d want to make use of the hefty investment on the equipment.
https://youtu.be/IRk2EcYX7t0
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, strict lockdown rules have altered the way people have preferred working out. Home workout videos have earned many clicks since people want to utilise their time at home into burning fat and looking better in the mirror.
Jump rope can easily be executed in the comfort of your living room, garage or your rooftop. You can easily avail yourself of the joy of a quality jump rope experience by getting your hands on products by Honor Athletics.

What Enhances Endurance and Sprint Speed? 

The preference between jump rope vs running also varies on the style or sport you are willing to opt for. If you are into intense, stamina draining sports like football and sprinting, running can be the catalyst to improve your performance.
Or if you’d like to pursue boxing or MMA, jumping rope can help enhance your endurance as well as coordination.

Jumping rope and sprinting correlate through the ability to perform “double unders”, a Jump Rope vs Running exercise that requires the practitioner to jump as high as they can whilst swinging the rope twice under their feet.
Double-under rope jumping has featured in HIIT as well as CrossFit programs too.

Should or Should Not And Alternatives

It is important to know which of the two suits your body type and build. Practitioners who have a history of knee/hip injuries would want to modify their training regime in a way that suits them best.
The duo exercises have proven to increase ground reactions and reflexes in activities such as swimming, walking, cycling and sprinting. Luckily, there are alternatives available to running on land.
Gravity-reducing treadmills can assist the injury-prone athlete to incorporate running into their workout without risk of further injury.

Similarly, the Honor Athletics jump rope can offer an easier surface for rope jumpers to train on. As a cheaper alternative, one can also use a trampoline to minimise the surface impact.

 What Are Impacts On The Body

In any training campaign, you need to feature exercises that target your muscle groups sufficiently. Each exercise applies exertion on the muscle, creating micro-tears in the muscle fibres, which after a rest period strengthen, to enhance performance.
Both running and jumping rope avail the use of lower extremity muscles, whereas your core muscles provide stabilisation.
Single-foot rope jumping requires immense use of your hip abductors to stabilize the pelvis.

Moreover, jumping rope also works your shoulder, triceps and your triceps, acting as an ideal mean of cardio to tone your upper body as well.
Running minimally executes this as bicep flexion and repetitive shoulder contraction aims to balance your leg movement.

 The Verdict: Which One Is For You?

Combining all the factors together, both exercises offer numerous health benefits to improve your overall body combination. Extensive running or jump rope sessions can reduce your body fat percentage significantly if those are the goals you’re aiming to achieve.
In the end, it all boils down to which exercise you’d most likely stick with as your go-to form of cardiovascular exercise. And jumping rope takes the lead in this case.

Working out should be a lifestyle, not a chore. You should attempt both styles and see which suits you best. Some people develop a passion for running whereas others see results fast through the jumping rope.
So consistency is everything. Experiment and enjoy the benefits.