Jump rope is a popular type of workout but should you start skipping if you have PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)? Exercise, in general, is one of the most effective strategies to reduce PCOS symptoms. If you want to know why and find out what type of exercise is the most beneficial for PCOS according to science, you can check out my previous article ‘What Is The Best Exercise For PCOS & Why?‘.
But if you’re here to learn about the effects of jump rope on PCOS, then that’s what you’ll find out in this article based on science as well as my own experience.
To answer your question about whether skipping is good for PCOS, I’ll explain what the advantages and disadvantages are and what you can expect from this type of workout. But in short: Jump rope is a great exercise for PCOS. Regular skipping may help reduce some of the most common PCOS symptoms such as insulin resistance, weight gain, and androgens overproduction. And here is why.
Benefits of jump rope for PCOS:
- Weight loss
- Increased metabolism
- Improved insulin sensitivity
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Increased bone density
- Improved brain health
- Stress reduction
✓ Weight loss
Because jumping rope is actually a high-intensity exercise, you will burn a lot of calories in a very short amount of time. That’s why jump rope is sometimes referred to as the ultimate ‘calorie-burner’ but it’s also quite underrated in comparison to other cardio workouts.
For example, in 10 minutes of skipping you’ll burn approximately the same amount of calories (and get the same cardiovascular benefits) as in a 30-minute jog. So if you’re short on time (or not a fan of long cardio sessions) but you want to implement more exercise into your lifestyle to increase your caloric expenditure and lose weight, jump rope might be just the perfect workout for you.
✓ Increased metabolism
You can also structure a jump rope workout as a HIIT training session by switching between short high-intensity intervals (jumping rope for 30 seconds) and low-intensity intervals (rest for 30 seconds) for about 15 minutes in total.
This strategy has been shown to be especially effective for weight loss, increased metabolic rate, and healthy weight maintenance. If you have PCOS you probably know that weight management can become extremely challenging due to the ineffective metabolism and that’s why regular skipping can help you overcome it.
Read more: ‘PCOS Belly Fat Explained & How To Reverse It‘
✓ Improved insulin sensitivity
Women with PCOS are very likely to suffer from high levels of insulin in their blood due to their body’s inability to effectively process glucose (blood sugars) which puts them at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
High levels of insulin, however, can also cause the overproduction of androgens (male hormones) by your ovaries. And high levels of androgens in your body are the reason for many of the other PCOS-related symptoms such as acne, oily skin, hair loss, hirsutism, and irregular periods.
But jumping rope can help you decrease those insulin levels naturally. During skipping you’ll be activating most of the major muscle groups in your body which need to be accordingly fueled by uptaking more glucose from your blood. This process will increase your insulin sensitivity and immediately lower your insulin levels.
By practicing regularly, however, you’ll be also able to achieve some long-term effects and your body will become more efficient in regulating your blood sugars and responding to insulin. Just keep in mind that if your goal is to reduce insulin resistance, you also need to consider other factors that are important for this process such as your diet, sleep, and stress management.
You can find more information and helpful tips here: ‘PCOS Insulin Resistance Explained & How To Reverse It‘.
✓ Improved cardiovascular health
Because of the hormonal imbalances and metabolic dysfunctions in women with PCOS, they are also at a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases. Aerobic types of exercise (when your heart gets pumping) have been shown to be highly effective in improving cardiorespiratory endurance and decreasing the risks of cardiovascular diseases. And jumping rope is one of the best aerobic types of exercise you can incorporate into your life.
By regular skipping, your body will become more efficient at circulating and utilizing oxygen which is especially important for a healthy heart, lungs, and muscle function. Studies have shown that jumping rope can increase your VO2max which measures the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize during exercise (higher VO2 max = higher cardiorespiratory endurance).
By increasing your VO2 max over time, you’ll be able to sustain physical activity for a longer period of time without getting tired. So basically you’ll get better at exercising. This will not only make your everyday tasks easier, but it might also motivate you to include even more exercise into your life and gain all the benefits of a healthy active lifestyle.
✓ Increased bone density
One of the benefits of jumping rope is that it can actually make your bones stronger and increase your bone mineral density. That’s because skipping is a form of impact training (which puts stress on your bones) and your body responds by remodeling your bones and making them much stronger and more mineral-dense.
Many studies have proven the benefits of regular skipping on bone density and that’s why jumping rope has been recommended to improve bone strength in several guidelines on bone health. Women with PCOS should also pay close attention to their bone health due to their hormonal abnormalities.
“Women with PCOS should also pay close attention to their bone health due to their hormonal abnormalities.”
Having PCOS means that your hormones are completely out of balance. If you suffer from irregular or completely missing periods that usually means that your estrogen levels are low because estrogen is a ‘female’ hormone responsible for your ovulation.
But estrogen is also the key player in your bone metabolism (acting as a regulator) and estrogen deficiency has been linked to a decrease in bone mineral density. So women with PCOS and low estrogen levels might be at even greater risk of osteoporosis and maintaining good bone health should remain their priority.
I highly suggest you get your bone health checked regularly (e.g. with DEXA scans) because this aspect can get easily overlooked if not monitored. But when you start experiencing symptoms (frequent bone fractures, joint pain) that’s usually when your bones are in much more severe state which becomes more difficult to reverse.
✓ Improved brain health
Jumping rope might seem like an easy exercise to do but if you want to learn the right techniques and handle multiple different jump styles, tricks, and fancy footwork, you will have to work on developing those skills first. Doing different things with your hands and your legs at the same time can be a bit challenging but it’s actually a great way to improve your coordination.
This means that with jump rope, you’ll be not only training your body but also your brain. And as with almost any exercise that is skill-based you’ll find out that it’s much easier to do. You’ll be mainly focusing on learning, practicing, and improving your skills without even thinking about how much you’re really working out. So if you don’t enjoy the gym, treadmills, or individual circuit workouts, jump rope can be a great option for you.
✓ Stress reduction
Some people might think of jump rope and skipping as an activity for kids and the reason for it is probably because it’s so much fun. But that’s the beauty of it! Skipping can actually make you happier because it lowers your stress hormones and releases endorphins (the mood-boosting chemicals) into your body.
If you have PCOS your cortisol (the ‘stress hormone’) levels can be abnormally high and effective stress management strategies need to be considered to lower your PCOS symptoms. So getting a jump rope and skipping for a few minutes every day can be extremely beneficial for a number of reasons. It’s also very cheap and all you need is a little bit of space and a killer playlist!
Things to consider:
If you’re just starting with jump rope it’s super important that you take it slow at the beginning (trust me on this one). If you’re not used to a lot of jump movements, it can be a shock for your joints and you can get hurt right at the start. I highly suggest you don’t jump for longer than 5 minutes a day when you’re starting so your body can recover and you’ll be able to progress.
When I started with jump rope I was so excited to learn all of the cool tricks and choreographies that I kind of overdid it the first day (1 hour of jumping) and then I couldn’t exercise for the next 2 weeks because of the extreme pain in my ankles. But I came back to it, took it much slower, and now I’m able to jump for an hour quite easily without any pain and with much stronger bones.
However, if you already suffer from joint pain and impact training is not recommended to you then jump rope might not be for you. Even though skipping is considered a low-impact activity (lower than running) if you learn the correct technique, you should talk to your doctor before starting.
My tips for jumping rope:
- Get a good-quality jump rope (different types might be better for different purposes)
I like:
WOD Nation Speed Jump Rope (best for speed)
Amble Soft Beaded Jump Rope (best for learning tricks) - Practice on a soft gym mat (gentle for joints if you practice regularly)
I use:
FECCOO Jump Rope Mat (best durability) - Pick some good-quality shoes (running shoes are great)
I use:
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 36 Running Shoes (best for support) - Have a killer music playlist (the most important thing)
- Use some high-quality headphones (wireless if possible)
I love:
Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones (best sound quality) - Watch choreography videos (youtube/instagram tutorials)
I like:
@lauren.jumps (on insta) - Stretch regularly (to prevent injuries and recover quicker)
- Track your workouts (fitbit/smartwatches track jumps as steps)
I use:
Fitbit Inspire 2 (best for tracking jumps as steps)
Read more: ‘TOP 5 Smart Devices To Monitor & Manage PCOS‘
Resources:
- Baker J. A. (1968). Comparison of rope skipping and jogging as methods of improving cardiovascular efficiency of college men. Research quarterly, 39(2), 240–243. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5240102/
- Bisgaard H, Dela F. [Physical exercise is a help for lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome]. Ugeskr Laeger. 2017 Jun 5;179(23):V11160777. Danish. PMID: 28606299. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28606299/
- Eriksson, J., Taimela, S., & Koivisto, V. A. (1997). Exercise and the metabolic syndrome. Diabetologia, 40(2), 125–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001250050653
- Ghorbani, F., Heidarimoghadam, R., Karami, M., Fathi, K., Minasian, V., & Bahram, M. E. (2014). The effect of six-week aerobic training program on cardiovascular fitness, body composition and mental health among female students. Journal of research in health sciences, 14(4), 264–267. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25503280/
- Gillen, J. B., & Gibala, M. J. (2014). Is high-intensity interval training a time-efficient exercise strategy to improve health and fitness?. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, 39(3), 409–412. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2013-0187
- Ha, A. S., & Ng, J. (2017). Rope skipping increases bone mineral density at calcanei of pubertal girls in Hong Kong: A quasi-experimental investigation. PloS one, 12(12), e0189085. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189085
- Katulski, K., Slawek, S., Czyzyk, A., Podfigurna-Stopa, A., Paczkowska, K., Ignaszak, N., Podkowa, N., & Meczekalski, B. (2014). Bone mineral density in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Journal of endocrinological investigation, 37(12), 1219–1224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-014-0175-5
- Min, S. K., Oh, T., Kim, S. H., Cho, J., Chung, H. Y., Park, D. H., & Kim, C. S. (2019). Position Statement: Exercise Guidelines to Increase Peak Bone Mass in Adolescents. Journal of bone metabolism, 26(4), 225–239. https://doi.org/10.11005/jbm.2019.26.4.225
- Moghetti P. (2016) Insulin Resistance and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Curr Pharm Des.;22(36):5526-5534. https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612822666160720155855
- Sharma, A., Madaan, V., & Petty, F. D. (2006). Exercise for mental health. Primary care companion to the Journal of clinical psychiatry, 8(2), 106. https://doi.org/10.4088/pcc.v08n0208a
- Stepto, N. K., Patten, R. K., Tassone, E. C., Misso, M. L., Brennan, L., Boyle, J., Boyle, R. A., Harrison, C. L., Hirschberg, A. L., Marsh, K., Moreno-Asso, A., Redman, L., Thondan, M., Wijeyaratne, C., Teede, H. J., & Moran, L. J. (2019). Exercise Recommendations for Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Is the Evidence Enough?. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 49(8), 1143–1157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01133-6
- Sung, K. D., Pekas, E. J., Scott, S. D., Son, W. M., & Park, S. Y. (2019). The effects of a 12-week jump rope exercise program on abdominal adiposity, vasoactive substances, inflammation, and vascular function in adolescent girls with prehypertension. European journal of applied physiology, 119(2), 577–585. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-4051-4
- Trecroci, A., Cavaggioni, L., Caccia, R., & Alberti, G. (2015). Jump Rope Training: Balance and Motor Coordination in Preadolescent Soccer Players. Journal of sports science & medicine, 14(4), 792–798.
- Woodward, A., Klonizakis, M., & Broom, D. (2020). Exercise and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 1228, 123–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1792-1_8
