Jump Rope Calorie Calculator
Estimate calories burned jumping rope from your weight (lb or kg), minutes skipped, and pace — slow (under 100 skips/min), moderate (100-120), or fast (120-160). Rope work is one of the densest calorie burns per minute there is.
Example: with Your weight 160 · Weight unit lb (pounds) · Pace Moderate — 100-120 skips/min (11.8 METs) · Time jumping (minutes) 10 → Calories burned: 150 kcal.
- Burn rate15.0 kcal/min (899/hour)
- Equivalent running time (6 mph)≈ 12 min at a 10:00/mile pace
Computed by the calculator below using its default values. Change any input to see your own numbers.
kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200. Rope-skipping MET values from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities.
Why the rope punches above its weight
Rope skipping keeps your whole body cycling with no coasting — every second is a small jump plus arm work — so its MET ratings rival hard running: 8.8 METs even at a slow sub-100 skips/min rhythm, 11.8 at a typical 100-120 pace, and 12.3 when you push 120-160 (values from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities). For a 160 lb person that moderate pace costs about 15 kcal every minute, which is why ten honest minutes stack up like a two-mile run.
The catch is that almost nobody skips continuously. Trips, rests, and footwork breaks mean a '20-minute session' may hold 12 minutes of actual jumping — enter the jumping minutes, not the wall-clock time, and the estimate stays honest.
How it’s calculated
kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × body weight (kg) ÷ 200 (standard MET formula). Rope-jumping METs, 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: slow, under 100 skips/min 8.8; moderate, 100-120 skips/min 11.8; fast, 120-160 skips/min 12.3. Running-equivalent row scales time by MET ÷ 9.8 (running at 6 mph). 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg.
Assumes continuous jumping at the stated cadence; rest breaks, skill level, and individual metabolism (about ±10%) change the real burn — an educational estimate, not medical advice.
Jump rope vs other cardio, per 10 minutes at 160 lb
| Activity | METs | kcal / 10 min |
|---|---|---|
| Jump rope, slow (<100 skips/min) | 8.8 | ≈ 112 |
| Jump rope, moderate (100-120) | 11.8 | ≈ 150 |
| Jump rope, fast (120-160) | 12.3 | ≈ 156 |
| Running, 6 mph (10:00/mile) | 9.8 | ≈ 124 |
| Walking, 3 mph | 3.5 | ≈ 44 |
MET values: 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Calories: kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × 72.6 kg ÷ 200 × 10; rounded.
Common mistakes
- Entering session length instead of actual jumping minutes — rest between sets can be half the clock.
- Assuming double-unders double the burn; they raise intensity one MET band, not 2×.
- Forgetting body weight drives the number: the same 10 minutes costs a 200 lb jumper ~25% more than a 160 lb one.
- Starting with long daily sessions on concrete — calves and shins need weeks to adapt.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does jumping rope burn?
kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200. At 160 lb (72.6 kg), a moderate 100-120 skips/min pace (11.8 METs) burns about 15 kcal per minute — roughly 150 kcal in 10 minutes or 300 in 20.
Is 10 minutes of jump rope really equal to 30 minutes of jogging?
That old claim overshoots. Moderate rope work (11.8 METs) burns about 20% more per minute than 6 mph jogging (9.8 METs), so 10 rope minutes ≈ 12 jogging minutes. The rope wins on time efficiency, just not 3-to-1.
Does jumping faster burn a lot more?
Somewhat: the Compendium jumps from 8.8 METs below 100 skips/min to 12.3 at 120-160. Past that, form breaks down and rest breaks grow, which usually cancels the extra pace — consistency beats speed.
How long should I jump to burn 300 calories?
At 160 lb and a moderate pace, about 20 minutes of actual jumping. Split it into 1-2 minute rounds with short rests; only count the jumping minutes in the calculator.
Is jump rope safe for my joints?
Impact is modest when you jump low (an inch off the ground) on a forgiving surface, but it is repetitive. If you have knee, ankle, calf, or heart conditions, or you are significantly overweight, get a clinician's go-ahead and build up gradually.