Jumping rope

Whydahdad71

So I bought a jump rope over the weekend and used it on Tuesday. My right calf was so sore for the last couple of days. I am now wondering if this exercise might be too much impact on my lower extremities. I opted for the rope after seeing now many calories jumping rope can accomplish.

Azdak

Jumping rope is a high-impact exercise, similar to running. It also has a large eccentric component, probably even more than running. It is this eccentric movement that results in a high amount of DOMS if you do too much at first.


The fact that you are experiencing this soreness does not necessarily mean that you are at a higher risk of injury than if you were doing any other type of high-impact exercise.

Rope jumping does have an inherently higher risk of injury, but that does mean people shouldn’t do it—anymore than the idea that people should not run. Millions of people do each exercise without injury.

Rope jumping is an exercise that has a relatively narrow intensity profile—it goes from high-intensity to higher intensity. Perhaps some people who do it regularly can add some ideas for warming up.

The initial damage has already been done, but the best way to ease back into it is just to control your duration at first. Do a very small amount the first day and add gradually to it until your legs become conditioned to the exercise.