Do you remember jumping rope when you were a child? If we don’t have any significant bone issues, we all know that jumping rope is a great exercise. It works out the arms, the back, and the legs.
Using jump ropes is a surefire way to increase your heart rate, boost full body strength and condition your body in training for a sport or an intense workout. Athletes have used jump ropes for decades to help train their bodies to increase endurance and fitness, as it works many of the body’s major muscles, from the arms to the legs, especially the thighs and glutes.
However, you cannot accurately track their exercise level when you’re using a traditional jumping or skipping rope. You might be going too fast to count the jumps or simply lose track of time. Using a stopwatch is one option, but you’ll have to stop in between to catch your breath or rest. If you want to see your results – like how many jumps you made, how long you jumped for, and how many calories you burned – you might consider using a digital jump rope instead.
What is a Digital Jump Rope?
A digital jump rope is an upgrade of the traditional jump rope – it provides the same workout and has the basic features of a typical jump rope – but can track metrics and display them on the device. It allows you to jump over the rope rhythmically in an exercise routine, but it somewhat makes it more intuitive.
Depending on the model of a digital jump rope, it can include features like a timer, jump counter, stopwatch functions, calorie counter, and memory of personal profiles and weight. The rope on this type of exercise tool is often made from durable materials like vinyl or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and is usually adjustable to make workouts more personalized for any user.
The handles on a digital jump rope can be made of plain plastic, while some are more comfortable and contoured or covered with foam or rubber. The digital readouts and electronic parts of a digital jump rope are in the handles.
Factors to Consider when Looking for a Digital Jump Rope
Before shopping for a digital jump rope, here are some things you may want to consider first:
1. With Rope vs. Rope less
A traditional jump rope cannot be a jump rope without a rope. But with digital jump ropes, you can find ropeless varieties that allow you to perform the same workout with the same handle features without worrying about the rope hitting your legs and stopping the workout. To provide resistance and a feeling of having to jump on a rope, ropeless models come with weighted balls attached to the handles.
The handles of a ropeless jump rope offer the same digital readout, only without a rope connecting them. Ropeless models are also great for exercising anywhere or in small indoor spaces, so you don’t have to worry about the rope hitting anything or anyone.
Meanwhile, digital models with rope can come with typical jump rope material, only with digital handles. The material is often made of vinyl or PVC; some can be easily adjustable to accommodate different heights for a personalized workout experience.
If you want a more convenient digital jump rope, you may want to consider ropeless models. However, if you need to work out with the real thing and if you prefer the extra challenge, go for those with rope.
2. Features
Basic and less expensive types of digital jump ropes will have only one or two features, typically a jump counter and a timer. Some more expensive and elaborate models can allow you to input weight, track personal goals, and estimate calories burned in a routine. Some also have LED lights to indicate workout intensity or a built-in speaker that plays music. Some can even calculate the distance you would have traveled if you weren’t jumping in place.
And there are smart jump ropes that connect to a smartphone app via Bluetooth, where you can set goals, view your stats, and bring in many features. The best smart jump ropes are adjustable to suit your height, able to track the metrics you care about (like the number of jumps, workout time, calories burned, etc.), and offer other features that matter, like removable weights and guided workouts. It must also display metrics using an easy-to-read LCD screen or app.
Most digital jump ropes are battery-powered, but there are USB-rechargeable ropes if it’s a more convenient and appealing choice for you.
However, if you choose smart jump ropes, prepare to spend a few more bucks because it’s equipped with more technology than other digital jump ropes. Also, many smart jump ropes encounter connectivity issues, which can be caused by the product itself, the environment you’re working out in, or user error. If you don’t want to deal with potential issues about connectivity, you may want to opt for a simpler, digital jump rope that can give out metrics that are important to you.
3. Length of rope
If you plan to share the digital jump rope with another person with a height different from yours, you may want to look for a jump rope with an adjustable length. Or, you can go for a ropeless model instead.
If you’re choosing only from ropes with set lengths, you have to ensure that they can accommodate your height for an effective workout. To determine the ideal length of jump rope for standard jumping, place the rope on the floor and put one foot in the middle. Pull both handles upward until they are evenly taut on both sides. The spot where the rope meets the handles on each side must lie between your armpit and the top of your shoulder. But if you’re an advanced jumper or prefer to do some double-unders, you might want the jump rope to be at your armpits or below for a tighter jumping arch.
That said, the proper length of a jumping rope that’s suitable for you depends on your height, form, or technique. This is why a jump rope with an adjustable length is recommended if you only want to buy one jump rope to accommodate your fitness goals in the long run.
What are the Benefits of Using a Digital Jump Rope?
The unique digital handle of a digital jump rope provides added exercise benefits on top of the one you can get from a traditional one. Here are some of the benefits a digital jump rope can provide for you:
1. It provides digital feedback
With the wide range of physical measures provided through its handle, a digital jump rope can offer tangible feedback during exercise, which enhances the workout experience. This makes it ideal for goal-driven fitness enthusiasts or high-level athletes who need to be more specific with their workout metrics
2. It helps you stay motivated
As it can keep track of your metrics and progress, you can get motivated to keep beating your personal records. Seeing the number of jumps you did, the length of time you did jumping, the calories you burned (and all the other metrics the jump rope can provide) can be a great motivator to keep you going. Unlike with a traditional jump rope, your progress will be visible, and you’ll be conscious of what you can improve on.
3. It’s versatile
Due to the feedback and metrics provided on the handle, digital jump ropes can be used with or without a rope. Ropeless jump ropes allow you to exercise anywhere without worrying about the rope hitting your feet or hitting things around your house (or anywhere you want to work out). This makes digital jump rope ideal for working out in small, indoor spaces, especially if you don’t have a yard or a gym to use a jump rope in.
4. It allows you to customize workouts
Some digital jump rope handles feature removable weights, allowing you to customize your workout with less effort. You can add some weights if you want to improve your muscular strength and burn some calories. But on days when you need to work on conditioning your body or speed skip, you can take them out.
5. It may help you set goals
Some digital jump ropes – especially smart jump ropes – can help you set goals by offering feedback on your performance. You can use this information to set a realistic goal and keep track of your progress over time. A smart jump rope can double as a workout tracking tool.
6. It may help you achieve better results
If you choose smart jump ropes, you can get even better results as they can give feedback on your form and technique. This feedback will help you identify your areas of improvement, so you can make the necessary adjustments to improve your jumping workouts. It allows you to be constantly aware of what you’re doing and what you need to change.
As a result, you can get greater cardiovascular benefits and muscle strength, and endurance. This is especially true if you go for a weighted digital or smart jump rope.
