How to prevent injuries while jumping rope
Erica Brandelius - RXSG Public Relations & CrossFit Coach on 1st Dec 2022
Jumping Rope is a great way to get your heart rate up, build strength, as well as work on agility, coordination and endurance.
It is a fun, low-cost and effective way for people to move their bodies. There are numerous benefits of jumping rope, and we want you to be able to reap the benefits for as long as humanly possible.
Common jump rope injuries include joint pain, shin splints, calf strain (excessive soreness), patellar tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, achilles tendon strain and in severe cases, stress fractures are possible. None of these things are what we would call a “fun time”, and we truly think they’re all avoidable! Have a read at through the list below to learn more:
Prepare Your Body:
Warm up
Before doing any exercise it is beneficial to warm up your muscles and get your heart rate up. Personal Trainer, Erica Anne, likes to explain it as “knocking on the door of your body, and letting it know it’s safe to move”. Often we rush into activity and use our first round as a warm up, instead of moving our body through different movement patterns, planes of motions and giving extra love to any areas that are extra tight or sore. By skipping a warm up it is only a matter of time until you’re dealing with an injury. Set aside 5-10 minutes to help transition your body from a state of rest to an active state. You can try adding in the following exercises:
- high knees
- butt kickers
- walk on tiptoes
- walk on heels
-s traight leg calf stretch on wall
- bent knee calf stretch on wall
- put wrists through all 4 directions 10x pulses
- wrist circles
Choose a softer surface
When possible, try to avoid jumping rope on hard surfaces like concrete. This is twofold, as not only will the hard surface be tough on your joints when bounding, but also it’ll wear on your jump rope quicker than a gym mat. A softer surface such as a wood floor, rubber mat, or even the grass would be kinder on your body. If you’re looking to give your body the best amount of love and care possible when it comes to drilling in new jump rope skills, the Air Jumping Mat is without a doubt your best bet. The Air Jumping Mat is the world’s first inflatable jump rope training surface. Compact and portable, it can go anywhere you want to jump and it sets up in minutes. It provides a forgiving surface for joint pains. Put the training in without putting the pounding on your body with the Rx Air Mat.
Set a Timer
Sounds simple, but this will help. Ease into your jumping routine by setting a timer and getting to know what is a realistic amount of time your body can handle the impact of jumping. You can increase this little by little each week:
Thank Your Body: Cool Down + Stretch
Cooling down is similar to warming up, a chance to let your body know that it’s safe to calm down, rest and heal. We want your heart rate to return to normal slowly, which is especially important if you've been performing at high levels of exertion for longer periods of time. An easy way to do this is to add on an extra 5-10 of your session with a lower intensity and slower pace.
When we don’t cool down, this can signal to our bodies that we are in danger, and in turn our body may try to protect us by tightening our muscles in order to avoid a larger injury. During a workout, muscles go through numerous contractions which leave them in a shortened state. Just a few minutes of static stretching after a jump rope workout can help your muscles recover and strengthen, which in turn will most likely improve your next session. Stretching them back to a relaxed state helps your body regulate blood flow, reduce lactic acid and reduce soreness. You can try adding in the following exercises:
- standing calf stretches
- standing hamstring stretches
- chest stretches
Listen to Your Body
As we know, there are countless benefits of jumping rope, and we want you to be able to reap the benefits for as long as humanly possible. All in all, the best way to prevent injuries is to listen to your body! Whether you are new to training, or a seasoned jumper, we can always benefit from giving our body some extra love. If you’re not sure where to start with your warm up and cool down journey, check out our Prehab Rehab Ebook, where we provide you with exercises to both mobilize and strengthen, with clear instructions on how to execute.